


Change of Tide

by obryzii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adulthood, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Assassination Plot(s), Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Boys In Love, Death, Death Threats, Declarations Of Love, Developing Friendships, Divide & Conquer, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotionally Repressed, Epic, Epic Battles, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, Fae & Fairies, Falling In Love, Family, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Fish out of Water, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Greek and Roman Mythology - Freeform, Heavy Angst, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, Love/Hate, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Male Friendship, Multi, Mutant Powers, Mythology References, Near Death Experiences, Plot Twists, Possible Character Death, Psychological Drama, Psychological Trauma, Psychology, Revelations, Revenge, Singing, Sirens, Song Lyrics, Strategy & Tactics, Threats of Violence, True Love, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:52:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10658193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obryzii/pseuds/obryzii
Summary: The beginning of the feud started long before anyone can remember. Between sirens, pirates, and faeries, who will come to rule the seas?Kageyama Tobio, a siren, has long been isolated from the rest of his race by the order of Oikawa, their King and the closest thing Kageyama has to a family. After getting massively frustrated at Oikawa during a fight, he runs off. Oikawa chases after him in fear that he may run to the enemy. The two sirens end up having a nasty interaction with some Pirates and a violent storm ensues. Kageyama finds himself washed up on an unfamiliar shore and Oikawa is faced with desperate times and desperate measures. How deep does the hatred between the races run, and what are the real reasons? Among those who consider themselves predators, which of them are actually unsuspecting prey? Those who find themselves alone will not survive.Mainly Kagehina and Iwaoi. The story follows various perspectives and has multiple storylines occurring at once.The specifics of this plot line are of my own creation, but the characters I do not own.





	1. The Change of Tide Universe

# The Change of Tide Universe

 

## The Haikyuu!! Seiyuus: Singing Voices for Reference

Much of this AU is heavily based around singing and song, so it would be beneficial to watch the attached video in order to visualize the scenes better.

Also, this is very uplifting for the soul. Please enjoy to your heart's content. <3

[Cast of Haikyuu and their Singing Voices](https://youtu.be/VBhQhHN_dqU?list=PLGS-2eglvs4-5zcWfK-xFky0eiR1JTytI)

If you do not cry when Suga sings...are you even a part of this fandom? Although I cried for every single one of them...My sons are just too precious.

And now without further ado, we will move on to the more serious part of this section.

## The Mythology and Species

In this AU, three mythological species exist, all of which have evolved from the original human. These three are the sirens, the faeries, and the new-age humans (landwalkers).

 

**SIRENS**

The sirens in this AU have been based off _mermaids_ from greek mythology. They were described as being elusive, young, very beautiful with long, flowing hair and deep, sad eyes. Mermaids were often associated with bad luck and misfortune. In the myths, they lured errant sailors off course and onto rocky shoals (similar to their cousins, the sirens). They were also accredited with the supernatural powers and ability to raise and calm storms at will. In this AU, this ability is manifested through "the Siren's Song" or "the Song." It was my choice as the creator to give these mermaids of greek mythology the title of 'siren' instead since mermaids are frequently taken with a positive connotation. This is partially due to Disney movies such as "The Little Mermaid." I wanted to make sure the brutality of the mermaids as they were in mythology was acknowledged.  ~

Sirens are creatures which resemble ocean-nymphs that reside in the sea. They can swim 10 times faster than any human or aquatic animal, the exception being faeries (they are only around 2 times faster in this respect). Above the waist, they appear as a human and are typically seen as pulchritudinous. From the waist down, they resemble a fish with fins and a long tail. One their human skin are tiny minuscule scales which created patterns, loosely called markings.  All sirens' tails and markings are unique. There are no two that are alike, not even identical twins (in addition, no siren song will ever sound the same). They have gills on the sides of their abdomen, webbed fingers with claw-like nails, fin growths on their ears, and swirling markings all over their upper body. The markings are typically a color which compliments or contrasts with the color of their scales. There is no defined line where their scales start. They simply fade into the skin of the body. Markings, gills, and eyes glow in the dark which helps them see in deep waters. At night, they can activate them at will.

Sirens can control the sea with their voice, using the Siren's Song. Each siren has their own individual song which they must develop. The key to developing the Siren's Song is to identify a muse. A muse can involve any theme or motif but it must involve a person, whether they are dead or alive. Those who have never formed a strong interpersonal connection or never had a successful one will find themselves at a loss. It's impossible to expect that someone who has never bonded with anyone to form a bond with the sea. 

The song is the strongest means they have of protecting themselves. A siren's song is often heavily influenced by emotions. An inability to understand one's own emotions will hinder the siren's ability to create an effective song. It is very common that a siren will only create around one or two usable songs in their lifetime. Because of this, it's easy to discern the patterns of the melody if it is seen enough times. 

[Oikawa is the only known siren who is able to control the sea without needing a muse at present. This is because he has a superior ability to understand the thoughts and emotions of others. His Song allows him to take the connection others have with the sea and manipulate it any way he wishes.]

As a reminder, while the sirens can control the sea, the sea is still the sea. It's very likely that the sea could take control over the situation. Heavy alteration to the atmosphere can lead to tsunamis, hurricanes, or savage storms.

In addition, sirens also have the ability to shapeshift. Upon leaving the water, the can morph into a human. Depending on how much power/skill/experience the siren has, they will be able to change into a perfectly normal human with no aquatic qualities. Those who are less skillful at this practice will only be able to do a half transformation and will still have some features from their aquatic selves (such as scales, markings, fins, etc but not tails). However, when they are in their human form they are unable to use the siren song. In this state, they are at their most vulnerable. While they appear human, they do not have the same amount of strength as the Landwalkers, even though they are humans as well (more on this later). After being granted with legs, they are very weak and do not have much stamina since they hardly ever use their leg muscles. They typically have very dry skin (which they must care for daily or twice a day) and are prone to dehydration. Transformed sirens are sensitive to extreme temperatures as well.

OVERVIEW:

([Link to the post on my tumblr](http://obryzii.tumblr.com/post/161516848313/radar-charts-for-change-of-tide-in-the-following)) << This post is where you may find their radar charts.

Compared to the other two species, it's evident that the sirens are the most unbalanced, yet, they are currently at the top of the food chain. This is due to the fact that the current conflict has played entirely into their hands. When they are in the water, they are almost near impossible to defeat on their home turf. The sirens are also in a supremely advantageous position since neither the faeries nor the humans know that the sirens have the ability to shift into a human form.

 

**FAERIES**

The faeries in this AU are loosely based off the _sirens_ from greek mythology (I know, this is all very confusing) as well as faeries/fairies from numerous other origins. They are depicted in art as half women and half birds. The Sirens, like mermaids, had beautiful singing voices and were gifted musicians. So wonderful was their musical talent that it was said they could even calm the winds. In archaic art, they are usually depicted as fearsome creatures, but their appearance became more angelic as time progressed. They used their voice to entice sailors to sail into their doom. Those who washed up on their shores would be consumed. The term "siren" is now used both in ancient and modern mythology, as well as in modern language in general, to describe something that is simultaneously dangerous and compelling. This compulsion ability is manifested in the faeries' ability to control the winds through whistling. They can use instruments (such as flutes, clarinets, etc.) as aids if they need to since it will generate the same effect, though it is not needed for success. ~

While the sirens live underwater, faeries live half in water and half above water. They know each other but prefer not to interact. The sirens have a considerable amount of fear for the faeries because of their unpredictable, volatile, and shrewd nature. They also have a tendency to be quite mischievous. Like the sirens, they are also seen as strangely alluring figures of beauty. Although they are considered faeries, they are often called the Dragons of the Sea. This is due to the fact that faery wings have the same composition and appearance as that of a dragon. They will occasionally have growths such as horns or spines down their backs. The bones in their body are light and somewhat hollow, similar to a bird's. This enables them to be swift and agile in flight. A faery's wings can be any color and have any length of wingspan. Since faeries generally have smaller and/or more delicate builds, they will often use their wings as a mode of defense.

They have slit pupils, though the quality of their vision depends entirely on the individual faery. Since faeries are centered around sound, they have an innate ability to use echolocation. They also have a venomous (not lethal) bite but it is only effective in close range battles. Faeries have a high level of aquatic ability because they can swim fast (by using their wings) and will not be easily taken away by the current. Unlike the sirens, they are not able to permanently live underwater. However, they can operate underwater for a substantial amount of time before needing to return to the shore. 

Out of the three, faeries have the potential to be the most savage. They are the most fragile physically since their bodies break easily, but they are the most tenacious mentally. Even if they were beaten half to death, a faery would stand up and fight. They will not be overcome by weakness since it has haunted them for all their life.

Faeries are extremely vulnerable in the early stages of development. Fledglings are especially delicate, weak, and potentially sickly. Because of this, they value their young more than anything. If one of them is missing, they will go to the ends of the earth to find that child. Cutting off the wings of a faery fledgling will stunt their growth and prevent them from fully maturing into their powers. The easiest way to defeat a faery is to cripple them early on. Once the wings are fully grown, other features will begin to develop. If the wings are cut off or removed, it is typically not possible for them to be regrown. They put a lot of work into rearing their young since they are precious and rare (faeries have a low fertility rate).

After the wings have matured, it marks the end of the growth process. While other traits will continue to become apparent, the development of their vocal chords ceases at the same time their wings do. Once they are of age, they are able to produce a high-pitched sound that sounds like a whistle/the call of a songbird. This whistle is the means of which they control the winds. Training to control the wind is time consuming and far more difficult than learning to control the sea since it's based entirely on sensations. Intuition is not all it takes, though. Without sufficient intelligence and/or rationale, a faery will not likely be successful. Tone, pitch, tempo, the course of the wind, and power of the wind's presence. In addition, it's harder to redirect a strong wind than it is a strong wave. It requires a lot more stamina than it appears. A large part of their wind-control depends on the individual.

OVERVIEW:

([Link to the post on my Tumblr](http://obryzii.tumblr.com/post/161516848313/radar-charts-for-change-of-tide-in-the-following))

Their strongest ability is the capacity to engage in flight and aerial combat. They excel at close and long range fighting but are weak in mid-range conflict. Once a mature faery loses their wings, they will still be able to control the wind, but their defense decreases significantly.

 

**HUMANS (LANDWALKERS, LANDERS, EARTH-DWELLERS, EARTHLINGS)**

The humans in this AU are not based off any particular being in mythology (other than the stories surrounding pirates) but they do have supernatural/advanced abilities. The skin of a new-age human (I'm not really sure why I decided on the term 'new-age humans' because it doesn't make that much sense) is ten times tougher than the skin of a normal human (example being everyone who lives outside the fantasy world). It is dense and practically impenetrable. They have strong bones and teeth. They are hardly bothered by any sort of minor pain as they have an extremely high pain tolerance. Out of the three, the humans have the strongest physical condition. They are hard to kill and do not break easily. Their physical strength exceeds that of both species as well.

However, because of their high tolerance to pain, they are insensitive toward temperature changes, which puts them at a higher risk for hyper/hypothermia. In addition, their sense of touch is dulled.

Humans have an excellent low-light vision and can see clearly underwater should they be submerged. They also have an enhanced sense of smell.

OVERVIEW:

([Link to the post on my Tumblr](http://obryzii.tumblr.com/post/161516848313/radar-charts-for-change-of-tide-in-the-following))

Unlike the other two, their aquatic ability is that of the average human. However, they beat both species in terrestrial ability. Their durable bodies allow them to endure much more than any of the other species, boosting their resilience. The sheer hardiness of the humans is what prevented them from losing the war outright.

 

**HYBRIDS**

There are no hybrids to date, though their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses would depend on the individual qualities of the parents.

Sirens have a high fertility rate but the child has a high risk of becoming dehydrated and dying in non-siren mothers. With non-siren fathers and a siren mother, the child has a high risk of contracting hyponatremia, which can be fatal. 

Faeries have a low fertility rate, but they can reproduce through both the male and female genders (meaning homosexual reproduction is possible). It's likely the child would be born with low birthweight in a non-faery mother.

A Human's chance at reproduction is average but could encounter the above problems in a hybrid pregnancy.

 

* * *

 

Thanks a bunch for reading all the way till the end! I hope you enjoy the story. ;)

~ obryzii


	2. Prologue

# Prologue

* * *

 

In this world, there are simple things which define the course of your life. Simple, yet inescapable.

The first is whether you are of the sea or of the earth. Simple.

The second is out of these things, are you a siren or a faery? Perhaps you are neither of those. Perhaps you are an ordinary human. 

Regardless of the answer, there is a path for each one. The intersection of such paths leads to miraculous encounters. Encounters which are easily turned sour by hatred, envy, and fear.

For an insurmountable amount of years, these cacophonous confrontations have terrorized the lives of both sea-dwellers and earth-dwellers. The mysterious creatures which lie hidden in the sea have been feared by those riding in great marine vessels and vice versa. The years of disdain and tension carved a schism between earth and water, land and sea. The divide has become so great that beaches are no longer a place for fun and enjoyment. The ocean shore is no longer a place where children can play. Generations of hatred have been bred so deep that no one has cared enough to remember the true cause of it all.

This current world is ugly and unforgiving at best.

No one can dream of a 'return to harmony' because no one ever remembers there being an age of peace, to begin with. The idealists and those who choose to stand with them quickly find themselves half-dead on the rocky shores.

After a time, both sides had come to a realization. The sea-dwellers must expel the intruders which lie atop the surface, and the earthlings must expunge the filth which pollutes their seas. They could see no other solution, as there could be no compromise.

For many years, those who lived in the sea had a significant advantage over those who lived on land. The landers, nicknamed by the sea people, only had one fighting force. They came in wooden ships and called themselves 'pirates.' The sea creatures, however, had twice the manpower. Their force consisted of both the faeries and the sirens. Together, they greatly overpowered the pirates and their ships. In their first battle, they assumed the pirates had been decimated. They were appalled to find the earth-dwellers standing strong, alive. However, the sea-dwellers still towered over the earthlings. This was the truth of the matter, at least up until recently.

Lately, it seems there was a development between the dragons of the sea and their silver-tongued partners. When the pirates attacked, their battles were no longer plagued with slanted odds. It didn't take long to realize that the faeries and the sirens had stopped fighting them, but were instead fighting themselves.

The faeries would attack the sirens occasionally but would typically ignore the pirates. It was revealed to the humans that the Faeries now harbor hatred towards the sirens, as they blamed them for the disappearance of their young prince.

The pirates were not heartbroken whatsoever. It would be easier if they let the sea-dwellers destroy themselves. No matter which side comes out on top, they'll be weakened and ripe for the taking.

The paths that exist in this world are slowly but surely coming closer together, closing the gap between species.


	3. The Siren's Song

# The Siren's Song

* * *

 

 

"Oikawa-san! Teach me the Siren's Song," Kageyama demanded.

"No, stuuuupid. Go away." Oikawa sat pompously atop his decadent throne. He blew away at his bangs, idly thrashing the plume of his tail. With his chin in his hand, he watched the young prince through the corner of his eye. Kageyama's brow twitched in anger, complimenting his clenched fists.

This is how Oikawa preferred Kageyama. He preferred for him to be completely at his mercy. He continued to watch the young siren furiously tread water with a dispassionate expression. The young prince bowed stiffly, his head nearly lower than his waist.

"Oikawa-san, please teach me the Siren's Song!" Kageyama yelled. His body was rigid, frozen from emotion. They sat for so long in silence that Kageyama's arms had begun to tremble. Oikawa's eyes widened a fraction out of interest. This was certainly a new approach. He had never seen the young prince so desperate before.

"Hmmmm?" he purred. Kageyama remained with his eyes fixated on the ocean floor. With his slender tail, he propelled himself from his throne. Now inches away from Kageyama, he held his posture erect, casting a long shadow over him. He crossed his arms haughtily. "Beg."

"What?!" Kageyama exclaimed. His eyes darted nervously.

"Do not make me repeat myself."

"Oik...Your Majesty...I beg you...please teach me," Kageyama's reply was barely a pained whisper.

"Teach you what?" Oikawa raised a brow pretentiously. By now, Kageyama was sweating profusely.

"Please teach me...the Siren's Song," he replied through gritted teeth. There were only a few moments of silence before Oikawa had begun bursting with laughter. Kageyama's head shot up immediately out of surprise.

"Boy, is this a surprise! To think you'd be one to bring tears to my eyes, it's unbelievable!" Oikawa took a moment to wipe away superficial tears from his eyes. "That was so beautiful, I don't even know where to begin." What Oikawa received even more pleasure from, however, was the look on Kageyama's face just then. A mixture of all his emotions had risen to the surface, rendering something indescribable. This only reminded him of his fears.

"I-I don't un–"

"You don't understand? I'm not sure I do either. I can't believe you actually begged." Oikawa's voice was still riddled with a hint of laughter. The only expression on Kageyama's face now was anger. Anger composed of pure murderous intent.

"You..." he snarled. Oikawa placed his hands behind his back and sharply turned towards his throne.

"Kageyama," he called out solemnly. The young prince's eyes widened out of fear.

"Y-ye—"

"Every night you ask me the same question," Oikawa began.

"No..." Kageyama whispered.

"And every night I give you the same answer." Oikawa turned his head slightly, bearing his lethal gaze down onto Kageyama. The siren froze, hardly even treading water. Oikawa proceeding to return himself to his throne. The plume of his tail fluttered as he floated down. "I'll die first," Oikawa replied. A slight smirk tugged at his lips.

"Tch...Would you at least allow someone else to teach me then?!" Kageyama yelled.

"No."

"Not even Tendou?! I don't care if he's sadistic at this point! Bokuto could teach me, or even Kiyoko-san!" Kageyama rambled frantically out of desperation.

"KAGEYAMA!" Oikawa yelled. At the sound of his voice, the whole world seemed to stop. He didn't even think Kageyama was breathing at this point. "Listen well, as I will not say this again. The answer is no."

"But—"

"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU WORTHLESS BRAT!" Oikawa's uncontrollable rage now transcended through his voice. Kageyama's lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes almost seemed to be teary. He disappeared in a flash of black and blue, fully removing himself from Oikawa's sight. He sighed, leaning his temple up against his hand. It seems that he was not completely alone yet. "What is it, Maki?" he grumbled.

"Oikawa-san, don't you think it would be beneficial to teach Kageyama how to compose a  song?" Hanamaki asked tentatively.

"It would be no such thing. I will not teach Tobio the Siren's song. The last thing we need is another Ushijima," Oikawa grumbled.

"What do you mean by that? You'll think he'll run off on his own?" Hanamaki asked.

"No, it's not that. I don't want to be left with something that we are unable to control. As he is now, is how he _needs_ to stay."

"But you're aware he'll figure it out eventually? He's not stupid. At least, not with stuff like this."

"He doesn't understand that he won't be able to do it alone. It won't ever be complete or have any power without help."

"So this is your chosen solution?" Hanamaki asked. "To ban everyone from teaching it to him?"

"Yes. I can only focus on the factors I can control," Oikawa replied. "And to control _him_ , we'll have to isolate him."

"What if he runs to Ushijima?"

"He would never do it because it would feel like he's lost." Oikawa smiled, "And Tobio-chan hates to lose."

Hanamaki nodded his head in acknowledgment, swimming his way towards the opening of the throne room.

"Ah well, I'll be off now. Try not to lose your head, Trashykawa." Hanamaki gave the King a skeptical glance.

"What? Who, me? Since when have you ever seen me do that Maki?" Oikawa's bottom lip pouted slightly.

"Oi oi, have you seen Kageyama?" a voice called from the entrance. Oikawa and Hanamaki looked toward the entrance only to find Bokuto there with his head popped half way in. His patterned scales looked blotchy underneath the shadow of the overhang.

"He was just here a while ago," Oikawa said impassively.

"Really? Never mind, then."

Oikawa sighed, "What's the issue, Bokuto?"

"Ah well, you see, Kageyama promised he'd go on patrol with me right about now." Bokuto had a factly tone to his voice. Oikawa simply rolled his eyes.

"The damned brat is pouting. You should probably pull him off his ass," he grumbled.

"Ahh, so you've gone and done it again, your _majesty_?" Bokuto's humorous tone took the sarcasm away, but it was still there. Oikawa' brow twitched a little. "Oh wait, there he is." Bokuto suddenly gathered all the attention he was using for the current conversation and dumped it onto an object outside the window.

"What?!" Oikawa yelped. He leaped from his throne and joined Bokuto at the window. In his sights, he saw the young prince and his royal blue tail, not dressed to be seen. He swam close to the ocean floor, careful to stick to the shadows. He was now wearing a black tunic, as opposed to the bare skin he'd been sporting earlier. Everything about him seemed different, dangerous. His mannerisms had completely changed.

"Hey hey hey, he doesn't look like he's meaning to come back," Bokuto said.

Shit. Oikawa's worst fears were coming true. Was it possible that Kageyama had completely subdued his pride?

No, not in a million years.

And yet, the young prince traveled deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, further away from everything he's ever known. He's going into the unknown. The only thing out there in the unknown is Ushijima.

Ushijima. Crap.

"I'm going after him," Oikawa announced.

"What? You can't. We actually need you to do some work around here for once," Hanamaki replied. His words were a lost cause because Oikawa had already propelled himself out the window, swimming towards Kageyama. His lithe tail allowed him to move like a torpedo in the water. His sights were solely locked onto the young prince, analyzing his every move. Suddenly, he turned sharply upwards.

Kageyama was swimming towards the surface.

"What the hell is he doing? That brat must be suicidal!" Oikawa laughed, his brows furrowing. If he is emotionally unstable, Oikawa probably just broke him minutes ago. However, this didn't feel like a suicide run. It felt furious. It felt agitated and volatile.

What the hell is he planning?

Oikawa had no choice but to follow him. Eventually, they both faded away into the colors of the sea.


	4. All I Want

# All I Want

* * *

 

Damn him. Damn the King. Damn Oikawa that freaking bastard.

Damn it all.

Kageyama pounded the wall of the palace with a tight fist. His breathing was strained. He squinted his eyes so tightly that it soon became painful to hold back the tears. He didn't want to hear it, but he had to know. He wished he could go back in time and slap up himself upside the head. Except Kageyama was so sure that this time...maybe...maybe if he showed some sincerity, the King would consent to it. But what he really didn't understand was this suffocating feeling. The feeling like you can't breathe, floating on water, chest heavy as a helm, without any ground beneath you. It was what the landers would describe as the pressure of the deep sea. Oikawa was right. He was a fool. He was just a useless brat. To think the answer he received tonight would be any different from all the nights before...he was ignorant and naive.

And yet, he still wished to control the sea.

The Siren's song was the most beautiful thing Kageyama had ever come to know. Words which morphed into the lovely sound of a song: absolutely enchanting music. He realized that the song heavily depended on the person. Their presence affected its nature. He believed that Oikawa had the most powerful presence. A simple hum from him could amplify the melody of another at least ten times over. This strength, this is why he is their King. Even if he harbors strong hatred toward someone, he'll still lift them up as much as he did for his right-hand man.

Kageyama was sure that he was the only one who felt this way, but that voice which connected them all made him feel incredibly alone. His silence was like nails on a rock. He was the only one who was unable to compose a song of his own. He was the only one who sunk while the others rose. However, he could only disobey Oikawa to an extent. He felt more like his father than anyone else. There was a feeling deep inside Kageyama which yearned to believe that in some way Oikawa was trying to protect him. That part of him desperately wanted to believe that Oikawa was doing this for him and not just for his own ego. But...how is leaving him defenseless protecting him?

It felt like he knew nothing but envy. Perhaps if he had more patience...

"Kageyama," a soft voice called. His eyes opened out of surprise, only to see a willowy maiden before him. Her tail was beautiful and elegant, a wondrous Aegean blue. Kageyama's eyes were slightly fuzzy from the water which welled in them. They were bloodshot from how hard he'd been squeezing them closed.

"...Kiyoko-san?" he murmured, and his face flushed in realization. "How long have you been...?" Shit. To her, it probably looked like he'd been crying his heart out. He wasn't sure he couldn't handle the embarrassment.

"Kageyama," she called out again with her soft and soothing voice. She was the kind of person who could put your heart at ease. Kiyoko was the lull in this savage sea. "You should go. Go to where you usually go." For a moment, Kageyama had no idea what she was talking about. Understanding had struck him like lightning.

Did she mean...that place? But Kageyama only went there alone, to be alone. Could she know where he's been running off to all this time? Could she know what he's been doing? Well, it's unlikely, but it still unnerved him greatly. His special place, his sanctuary, had been violated. However, somehow knowing that it was Kiyoko who knew, made it less unsettling. He felt like a small portion of the weight in his chest had been lifted. Relief? Is that what this feeling is called?

"How did you...uh, know about—"

"Kageyama," the way she said his name sounded so maternal. "You should go to that place and not come back."

"What?!" Kageyama exclaimed.

"Go," she pleaded. It sounded desperate, like a cry for help. Everybody around him seemed to something he didn't. What is it that he doesn't know? What would make the reserved Kiyoko be so openly warmhearted towards him? Kageyama nodded stiffly and forced himself to swim away. Taking one last glance at Kiyoko, he watched her dark locks flow in an ethereal way around her face. He didn't know about not coming back, but he knew he needed to be at that place right now. He needed to be somewhere where he wasn't suffocating.

Kageyama, fueled by pain and strife diligently swam towards his sanctuary. He was pouring all of his focus into camouflage that he had not noticed that Oikawa had secretly begun to follow him. The further away he swam, the more he felt his worries disappear. The water rolled over his skin and scales, carrying his turmoil away with the current. It was like the wind blowing away clouds following a storm, revealing a clear blue sky, allowing the sun to shine through. The silence of the vacant sea was Kageyama's only loyal friend.

Why is it that he was not allowed to become friends with the sea? Why, when the sea is the only thing he has? Well, he did have the other sirens, but are they really his friends? The one who dictated that, who decided all things in his life, was Oikawa. He swam towards the surface now. Rays of light illuminated the upper waters, casting their rays onto his zaffre tail. His tail has always had a shimmering effect to it. It seemed to just be the nature of his scales. Kageyama tentatively allowed his head to peer above the water. His nose blew tiny bubbles of air towards the surface. It seemed that the surface was clear. His dark hair now bobbed fully out of the water, followed by his head. He whipped his wet hair back, thoroughly breathing in the ocean air. The smell of salt and wind was sharp and sweet. He exhaled hot air, allowing his whole body to come down from the heat of anger. He swam delicately grazing the surface as he entered the serene waters of the familiar cove. There was nothing special about this place, other than it was Kageyama's own. It was a small inverse cut of land littered with rocks and boulders. There was nothing around except for him and the fish below. His favorite rock was long and flat, like a floating platform. It was one of the ones furthest from the shore and was fairly exposed, but he's never had to worry about privacy before. He sprawled himself onto the rock, laying his head on his arms. His chin nearly hung over the edge of the rock, peering into the shadowy deep below.

Unbeknownst to Kageyama, Oikawa had followed him right up to the cove, hiding among the copious amount of rocks and foliage. He watched Kageyama, sprawled leisurely on the rock, displacing water with the fin of his tail. Kageyama sighed deeply and Oikawa's gut twisted. Somehow, he knew it was coming. It started with a hum from deep inside Kageyama's throat. Slowly the ragged murmurs smoothed into a deep and melodic tune. Oikawa cannot remember the last time he heard Kageyama sing. He hardly remembers even the echoes of his voice. Those days were many, many years ago. Kageyama's singing was what first turned Oikawa on to his potential for great power. It was beautiful then, like a young angel calling you towards the side of god. He would sing nonstop until Oikawa finally grew tired of the constant reminder of impending doom. He only recalls slapping Kageyama harshly across the mouth, threatening death if he ever heard him sing again. That was when their battle began. Now, after not hearing it for so long, Oikawa could do nothing but be overtaken by Kageyama's voice.

" _Wait for your call,_  
 _The call never came._  
 _Ready to fall up,_  
 _Ready to claim._  
 _And I'm ready for it all,_  
 _Ready for the pain._  
 _Meet under sun and_  
 _Meet me again._  
 _In the rain..._  
 _In the rain..._

_Behind the walls,_   
_I'm trying to change._   
_And I'm ready for it all,_   
_I'm ready for the change._   
_Meet me in blue sky._   
_Meet me again._   
_In the rain..._   
_In the rain..._   
_In the rain.._

_You've got to find yourself alone in this world._   
_You've got to find yourself alone."_

Kageyama's singing was breathy, primarily dominated by sadness as opposed to his normal angered tone. He peered into the water, the face of his friend. The waves and its ripples were his audiences. His breath was so close to the surface it created its own waves, if only slightly. Kageyama finally felt that the voice which had been locked inside his throat was freed again. He sat upright so that he could see his full reflection in the water. He inhaled deeply and exhaled his breath in the form of song.

_"So tell me this is who you are._   
_They tell me I've got something more._   
_And, oh, I could be loved._   
_But I don't want the light to find me when I'm dark and lost,_   
_And always on my own._

_'Cause I just wanna swing like Tendou_   
_Singing like I can't stop._   
_'Cause I could never rock like Bokuto._   
_I just wanna live like the ones before._   
_And maybe I could play guitar like a misfit_   
_Or save the world or end it._   
_And then maybe they'll remember me when I'm gone._   
_That's all I could ever want._   
_That's all I want._

_So I got ten minutes to be all or nothing to_   
_Whoever wants to hear._   
_And I got ten weeks of talking bullshit on repeat till I'm burnt out and disappear._   
_But I owe you nothing,_   
_And I own my life._   
_Oh, they said I'll never be alone again._   
_But I don't think you understand me or what I fear._   
_But I could be loved._   
_But I don't want to lie to tell myself_   
_I'm more than all the mistakes I've outrun._

_'Cause I'm only here for a minute,_   
_And I don't care what you say 'cause I know_   
_You're only here 'cause I'm winning._   
_But I can be my own kind of rock and roll._   
_I don't really care if you say you don't fuck with me,_   
_And I can say what the fuck I want 'cause it's down to me,_   
_And I got love for you even if you are doubting me._   
_Like, oh, my God I just can't stop._

_'Cause I just wanna sing like Oikawa_   
_With songs like wisecracks._   
_'Cause I could never rock like Bokuto._   
_I wonder how it feels to burn out young._   
_'Cause I just wanna die before my heart fails_   
_From heartbreak or ships' sails and_   
_Then maybe you'll cry once you know I'm gone._   
_That's all I could ever want._   
_Oh, that's all I want, yeah._

_'Cause I ain't scared of living._   
_I ain't scared of living._   
_No, I ain't scared of living._   
_'Cause it's all we've got._   
_What are we breathing for if we ain't living?_   
_And I don't want your love,_   
_I just want to feel like I'm still living._   
_And if there is no God,_   
_I'll know the day I die I lived through heaven._   
_And that I gave it hell._   
_And if it hurt, oh well at least that's living."_

His voice faltered at his last words. Kageyama's eyes swelled hot with tears, but they did not fall.

"I just don't know what I'm supposed to be," he whispered softly. It was a painful whisper, like a stab to his own chest. He inhaled again, and exhaled in song:

_"That's all I want._

_Songs, hugs, and rock and roll that's all I want._   
_What's under the words, you know,_   
_that's all I want._   
_Something more than superficial is all I want._   
_Songs, hugs, and, rock and roll that's all I want."_

Kageyama's voice echoed across the seas. It was a lonely echo, chasing something that's simply unattainable. He was alone. Even the sea refused to divulge its secrets. Kageyama was rejected but everyone and everything. He wondered if it was possible to keep on living in a world that didn't even acknowledge you.

While Kageyama was staring intently at his reflection, Oikawa finally emerged from his trance. He was stunned speechless. Kageyama was typically introverted and rarely expressive. He hardly shows any empathy or consideration for feelings. Regardless, when he sings, it all flows out like a waterfall. Oikawa wasn't sure that he even understood what those words meant, what his feelings meant. The moment he understands, he won't be able to be controlled. His ignorance is what is keeping him chained down. Despite this ignorance, Oikawa felt...he felt...guilt.

"This brat," he snarled. "Making me feel all em—" Suddenly, Oikawa saw something even more frightening than his fear of being surpassed. He was so locked into Kageyama's voice that he hadn't noticed a subtle change in the air. His entire body paled. The water around him suddenly became turgid. There, hidden behind the rocks, was Ushijima. His eyes were focused on Kageyama, whispering his inaudible incantations. "The Silent Song," Oikawa breathed. The change in tide was bringing strong winds towards them. On the horizon, large vessels were fast approaching. Ships. Human ships. Pirates.

Ushijima was bringing the pirates to them.

Oikawa knew he had to get out here, as soon as possible. He had the strength to fight them, but by himself it would be no use. There would be no one to watch his back. Kageyama of course, was useless. Oikawa wouldn't waste his time on trying to figure out Ushijima's motives. He needed a solution. Now. He needed a way to control the situation. Just as he thought so, a forceful wave came up and lifted both him and Kageyama out of the cove. The wave violently thrashed and rolled, placing the two sirens at the feet of the wooden ships.

"A storm's a comin'!" one yelled.

"Oi! SIRENS! Sirens on the surface! Prepare the weapons!" There was a loud clamor about the boat. Oikawa caught sight of the young prince, coughing up a ruckus.

Kageyama was whisked away. The twisting current ripped at his limbs to the point where he thought they would be torn apart. The placid sea which was usually kind to him, punched him hard the gut, leaving bruises on his body and blood in the water. He opened his eyes painfully, but there was no sign of the sun. Above them, there were only dark clouds, followed by an even greater shadow. Kageyama was treading water before the helm of a large ship. Glints of spears and harpoons gathered together in his vision. He was being targeted. The second he realized that,  fear settled in. He was frozen and defenseless. Kageyama locked eyes with one of the humans aboard the ship. He had pale blond hair, glasses blinded by the ocean spray, and an expression of pure hatred on his face. Something that was even more surprising was the growths which came from his back. They were terrifying, menacing wings, like that of a dragon. The membrane was a deep mauve while the spine of the wings was obsidian. This was a faery. Everything about his aura conveyed how much he wanted Kageyama dead. He believed he'd do it.

Kageyama thought he was going to die.

Suddenly, the sky crackled and roared, and the boat was struck with one searing strip of lightning. The sea, rather than the sirens, faeries, or pirates, took control of the situation. It thrashed and whirled till it broke the flaming vessel apart. Kageyama, half conscious, was being carried away by the currents. In his blurry vision, he recognized a familiar figure. Oikawa was looking straight at him. Rather, he was looking down on him.

"Oika—" Kageyama cried desperately. He choked on the taste of blood and salt water. It tasted like death. His fearful gaze now rested on the one person who might be able to save him. That person maintained their eternal candid expression and looked away from Kageyama's pitiful state. Kageyama was forced to watch while a shadowy wave towered over him and slammed him into the darkness of the sea. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel as if he had been granted a favor. His friend, the sea, was surely doing what was best for him.

On the surface, there was ravaging winds, savage fire, and bloodcurdling screams. Beneath the waves was merely a silent, painful, and suffocating death. The storm would not be calmed anytime soon, for someone has chosen to anger the sea.

The unconscious Kageyama was pulled away from the heart of this world by the sea, which placed him on the shores of an underpopulated section of the coast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Kageyama sings the songs "Oceans" by Coldplay and "rock + roll" by EDEN [with some of the words adapted]. In "rock + roll" the original text was drugs, which is why I changed it to hugs. Kageyama and drugs doesn't really fit together, though baby kags probably needs both atm tbh.
> 
> Also, please forgive me and try to understand that I am not trying to portray Oikawa as an asshole. However, Oikawa has got this far without having Iwaizumi in his life. Think of all the times which he was stopped, comforted, or advised by Hajime. Now eliminate all of those times and imagine what the product would be. That would be Oikawa as he is now. Now imagine a baby Kageyama who has had to shoulder all of Oikawa's unbridled insecurity. That is what Kageyama has experienced for most of his life.
> 
> So, from cause and effect, sprang their current relationship.
> 
> ~ obryzii


	5. After the Storm

# After the Storm

* * *

 

For as long as Hinata could remember, his life has been nothing but peaceful. It's been a lonely life,  but nothing short of living. He led a primitive lifestyle; rarely going into town, living all the way out where no one would bother him, hardly concerned with his position in society. Despite the peaceful life he's led, Hinata has chosen a particularly dangerous place to live. He lives far from any human settlements in a deserted house near the coast. Although, he didn't think he could leave this place if he tried. This is the only place he holds a memory of. Anything from his early days he has completely forgotten.

He's forgotten everything but a single feeling. It's a familiar 'whoosh' upwards like a rocket, followed by a satisfying 'gwaahh'! There is only one thing in his current world which he can equate to that feeling. When he is standing at the peak of a cliff or looking out at the top of a tree, Hinata is able to touch a little bit of that satisfying feeling. Even if it lasts only for a second, and disappears soon afterward.

The treetops. That's where he's spent the majority of today's afternoon. He stayed there, observing the world contently. In the early evening, he saw storm clouds rolling in from the east. Hinata was forced to descend from his perch and return to his home. His tiny little house was located on the edge of a rocky cliff, high enough to avoid any water damage but close enough to the sea where it could still be considered worrying. The darker the sky became, the more clouds rolled in. The wind ripped against the loose boards of his home. Beside him, his little ginger tabby trembled in the wake of the thunder.

"C-come here, Natsu," Hinata said, picking up the little cat gently. He wasn't that fond of thunderstorms either. They were noisy and unforgiving. Watching the sea during the storm reminded Hinata of an angry kind of sadness. The wind was yelling, lashing out, and the only thing the sea could do in response was reel away from the wind's words. It was admired and accepted but when it came down to it, the only one able to save the sea from the wind was the sea itself. Lighting flashed in raging fits. Another loud clap of thunder clashed above, and Hinata jumped at the sound. He ran to the cupboard and opened the creaking door. With little Natsu still in his grasp, he grabbed the blanket from the shelf and returned to the empty corner where he had been crouching. He draped the blanket over his head, surrounding himself in a blanket-made tent. Hinata clutched the tiny, trembling animal to his chest. His heart beat rapidly out of anxiety. He pressed his noise into the cat's long, soft fur, waiting wide-eyed for the storm to end.

Hinata waited all night to no avail. Gradually, he had begun to fade into sleep. When he awoke, the sky was quiet and the light shined through the tattered curtains. He gave a huge yawn, sparking small tears in his eyes. Shaking the blanket off his body, he looked around for Natsu.

"Oi! Natsu! Where are you?" he called, but his voice got no mewing in response. Hinata boldly shoved the door of his house open. "Natsu!" he yelled. She probably went to go look for fish that had washed up on shore. Hinata slid on his sandals and hurriedly made his way down the rocks.

Natsu was a long-haired ginger tabby which followed him home from town one day. When she begged for food, he absolutely couldn't refuse her adorable face! From that point on, Natsu had become his placid and timid companion.

When Hinata caught eyes of the shore, he was immediately shocked. There was a lot more damage than he had expected. It seems the forested area near the shore got caught in the storm's wrath. His eyes quickly searched the sand for any sign of the little orange fluff ball. Finally, he spotted her. She seemed fascinated by a large mass of debris.

"Natsu!" Hinata cried. His short but strong legs carried him swiftly down the beach. He made it to the fur ball in no time. "Natsu, what did you....find....?" Hinata was completely taken aback by the sight he now saw. It looked like a large fish, but also a human? "Wh-Whaat the hell is that?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the suspicious creature. Natsu simply responded with an innocent mew. The body of a human with the tail of a fish...Hinata gasped in realization. He jumped away from the limp body.

"Shit, it's a siren!" he squawked. Hinata had learned from the villagers that sirens were something that he should fear. They told him horrible stories of their malicious intent and savagery. But looking at the male in front of him now, he didn't feel that way. Rather than the attacker, he looked more like a victim. His face and body were covered in deep colored bruises and dried blood. In some areas, he was even still bleeding. Even though the siren looked like an absolute wreck, there was one part of him that was still, well, beautiful. Hinata couldn't help but be mesmerized by his shimmering scales. They were a dark azure hue but faded into black at the waist and fins. With his long raven hair, the color really seemed to suit him. The markings on his chest were another thing altogether. They looked like tattoos at first, but then Hinata was able to see a slight shimmer in them. He realized that they were very fine, minuscule scales. The male's fins were what intrigued him the most. They were semi-transparent and seemingly delicate, but the spines holding the membrane looked sturdy and strong. He knew immediately that under the sea, his tail fin must be his most powerful weapon.

That's right, a weapon. Don't forget this thing is a monster, Hinata. However, it was no use. His inner-conscience has lost this battle. Hinata just couldn't move away. He looked at this boy and couldn't help but wonder if this was how the sea felt during that fight? Was the sea this defeated? Is that why it shared its wrath with those on land?

As he was observing the mysterious creature, he found himself in a position close enough to reach out and touch him. Hinata's curiosity had come to dominate the majority of his fear. He was now close enough to see the siren's ragged and heavy breathing. It looked painful; he was just barely keeping himself alive.

Hinata looked towards the cat beside him, "Natsu, I think you caught a pretty big fish." The cat simply stared back at him vacantly before offering a soft meow. Hinata grasped his wild hair in anguish. "What do I do with it now?" he cried. If he left him here, he would surely die. "Arggghhh!" he yelled. His eyes squinted tight, his whole face was exercised in thought. After several moments of this, he finally sighed. Hinata's common sense was defeated.

"I have a feeling that I'm going to seriously regret this," he groaned. Hinata grabbed the siren by the arms, hoisting him up, but quickly dropping him. "Ah, curse you for being so tall...or long I guess? Whatever," he grumbled. He wrapped his arms around the male's chest and was forced to drag him through the sand to his house. Step by step, Hinata grudgingly made his way toward that direction. He tried to lift the creature up as much as he could, but there was little effect on it.

"You know, I really hope you don't kill me for this when you wake up." Meanwhile, Natsu had trodden ahead buoyantly, satisfied with her good deed for the day.

"Agh! What am I going to do about the villagers?! No one ever comes out to my place anyways, it should be fine...Shit! I dropped him again. Mr. Siren, please forgive me when you wake up. I don't want to get killed for saving your life. Oi! You lazy cat! Come help me over here!"


	6. The Echoes

# The Echoes

* * *

 

Ever since the wave crashed down, Kageyama has been locked within the darkness of his own mind. It was an empty shadow, filled with nothing but echoes. They progressively got louder until they were strong enough for Kageyama to hear. These echoes that were locked within him...he wanted to hear them. He wanted to know their thoughts. It seems that he was always wanting and never receiving. The whispers sounded like the bare strings of a melody. It was a sound he had never heard before, lively and sanguine. The only melodies that ever came to him were melancholy and solemn. Just as he thought he could finally touch such a beautiful sound, it was whisked away from him, retreating to the darkness. As quickly as it came, it faded away.

"Oi, Natsu! I think he's waking," a loud voice yelled. Kageyama jumped at its volume. He reluctantly opened his eyes to the dry air around him. His vision was a blur, he could barely make out anything but figures of color. Kageyama's head pounded so hard it hurt to be conscious. Any little sound caused his ears to ring. Soft morning light crept in through the window of...wait a second, where is he?

"Where the hell am I?" he growled in a low tone. His vision was gradually returning. The first thing his hands touched was the smooth, worn wood of...a tub? There was enough water in it that it spilled over every time he moved. Almost every part of his body was black and blue, but there was less blood than expected. Had his wounds been patched up? But who would've...? Kageyama's head slowly turned to meet the source of the loud voice. As his gaze fell on him, the little human's arms reached up defensively.

"Ah..ha..ahh..well, you're...uh, um, you're in my house, you see. But I wasn't the one who beat you up or anything! I swear! I just found you lying on the shore! Well actually, Natsu did. But you know, if you want to leave as soon as possible..ahh well I could sort of understand that as I pretty much dragged you here. Um...eh heh heh." The human rubbed the back of his head nervously. He could see a trickle of sweat running down his cheek. Was he that flustered? Did Kageyama look that scary? He had a giant mess of orange hair atop his head. It looked like someone took a sea anemone and shoved it onto his head. He almost wanted to sneer a little. The hair went all the way past his eyes, just stopping before his nose. It was if he never even bothered to cut it. Kageyama could hardly even see his face. Hell, could this dumbass even see past all that hair? As he talked the slight curls in it bounced around. It was so distracting, so annoying. Kageyama felt around in the water some more, examining a strange foamy substance. It smelled sweet and clean, like the flowers near the shore. His wounds seemed to sting when he touched it.

"Who the hell are are you, and what the hell is this foamy crap?!" Kageyama exclaimed.

"Ahah, well I'm Hinata and that foamy stuff is soap." His words seemed to falter even more now, probably because of Kageyama's tone.

"Hinata...what? What's your first name? And what the hell is soap?" Kageyama's volume only seemed to rise as he continued talking to this idiot.

"Um, ah, I don't really remember any other name besides Hinata."

"You don't remember...? What are you, a dumbass?"

"Oi, don't go calling people dumbasses, fish face!"

"Fish...face?!" Kageyama's lip curled in disgust. He looked down into the water again, reminded of the other topic at hand. "Oi! You didn't answer my other question, shit head!"

"Shit head? What the hell's up with that?!" Hinata exclaimed. That fluffy head of his seemed to bounce even more when he was angry.

"Well, you're the one who said I shouldn't go around calling people dumbasses!"

"Well being called a shit head is worse!"

"Whatever, dumbass it is then." Kageyama's voice truly sounded like a snarl. He sighed deeply, exhaling. "HINATA YOU DUMBASS! You still haven't answered my other question!" he yelled. His hands gripped tightly onto the edges of the tub.

Hinata snorted, "Soap is something you use to clean things with. It makes you smell better."

"Why the hell did you use that crap on me?" Kageyama asked. Hinata turned his head cheekily.

"Well, it's because after dragging you here, you smelled like a fish's rotting insides. It was beyond horrible," Hinata grumbled.

"Huh?! Say that again!"

"I said you smelled like shit, stupid, so I poured a whole bottle of the damn thing in there so I could maybe not smell freaking rotting fish for a few days!"

"Why you little..." Kageyama growled. He lunged at the small and lithe body from the tub, reaching for his throat. Before he had realized it, the whole tub came crashing to the side. The soapy water drowned the floor. Kageyama, without legs to balance him, caught his fall with his hands.

"Ow!" Hinata yelled. The noise seemed louder to Kageyama than usual. He looked down to where he hand landed. His whole body had pinned the small ginger to the hard floor. Hinata was soaked in soapy water. His bouncy hair was plastered against his face and yet, he could still barely see his eyes. Kageyama sneered and held Hinata down by his arms.

"You're so weak," he snarled. Hinata's face took on a new fearsome expression. It was consumed violent intent. The way his brow scrunched and his eyebrows lifted, Kageyama guessed that's his eyes must be full of fear. What happened next was too fast for even Kageyama to see.

"Get off me!" Hinata screeched. His small pale hands reached out towards Kageyama's face and clawed away, leaving fleshy red marks across his cheek. At first, Kageyama thought something had got him in the back. As he turned to look at what it was, a long-haired ginger cat had attached itself to his back. His shoulder seethed in pain as the sharpened claws dug into him. He grabbed the cat by the scruff and threw it towards where Hinata had recoiled to. Kageyama tentatively reached up to touch the wound on his left cheek.

"Tch." The wound had stung when he touched it, and it was wet. He looked down at his fingers and they were red with blood. This little shrimp actually drew blood from him. No one had ever dared to do that before.

No one but Oikawa.

Ah, Kageyama had forgotten. Before he came here, he was fighting with Oikawa-san. Then he went to the cove, and then...and then...Oikawa-san, he...

_If I ever hear you sing again, I promise I'll kill you. Got it, Tobio-chan?_

How long had Oikawa-san been there? Did he follow him? Is that why he...did that? Is that why he left him to die? No...he didn't just leave him to die. With the way the current was going, the wave that crashed onto him shouldn't have risen. Realization hit Kageyama like a punch to the chest.

Oikawa-san intended to kill him.

"He almost kept his promise," Kageyama whispered.

"What'd you say?" Hinata yelled. His voice faltered in random places from shivering. He probably wasn't used to being cold and wet. The dumbass would probably catch a cold like that.

"Nothing," Kageyama grumbled. Defeated, he slumped back into the fallen wooden tub. It stung the wounds on his back, but he could think of nothing than the blood that was on his fingertips. How was this fear...how was this fear any different for the fear he had for Oikawa-san? Kageyama depressively hung his head. He'd never felt this disgusted with himself. "Hinata..." he began, but he couldn't say it. He was only able to go so far. After that, he clammed up. His mouth could not be open anymore. Kageyama simply couldn't bring himself to apologize. The strong sense of pride within him chained down his tongue. "Hinata..." he said again, only angrier. Still, this time he could go no further. He scowled in frustration towards himself. Kageyama was no better than him. With each passing moment, his guilt multiplied.

"Uh, ah, Siren-san—"

"Kageyama," he said. Kageyama lifted his gaze slightly, guessing where Hinata's eyes would be. "Kageyama Tobio."

"Well...Kageyama, do you...do you have to stay here?" Hinata asked.

Ah. There it was. Kageyama had hoped that maybe he would tell him the words he most wanted to hear. He had hoped that maybe Hinata would tell him that it's okay, that he knew what he was trying to say. Of course, he wouldn't. Kageyama had just finished scaring him half to death. He wasn't used to being faced with reality.

"The sooner I leave, the better it will be for me." Kageyama didn't want to force himself on Hinata. It seemed like having him here would only bring him trouble. Not to mention, what if other humans had found him out here? He didn't know how to shift yet like the others. He couldn't even sing a proper song. If he went back to the sea...it'd be risky. He'd be walking a very dangerous line. It's possible that they're checking this area for survivors. Damn it, he had no options.

"Oh...really?" Hinata said. Kageyama's brow furrowed. He had almost sounded depressed when he said that. Although, it seemed he was ignorant of the true nature of this anyways. It wasn't true. "Then I think that...I think that you should probably leave." Hinata's voice was the quietest it had ever been since Kageyama woke up today. Something inside him yanked hard at his gut.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I could help take you back down to the shore...if you want," Hinata offered.

Kageyama only nodded his head solemnly in response. Hinata cautiously rose and walked towards him. His steps were soft and quiet. Nothing about him made Kageyama's ears ring anymore. It was too quiet. This silence was too loud. He couldn't think straight. The only thing he could hear was the echoes of what wasn't being said. Kageyama felt these thoughts would be the death of him. Hinata lifted Kageyama up to the best of his ability, but his tail still dragged on the floor. Even like this, Hinata's arms shook. It was such a short distance to the shore, but it couldn't feel any further. When they reached the warm, soggy sand of midday, Hinata did his best to ease Kageyama into the water. If he had apologized, would Hinata have let him stay? Surely not. Why did he want to stay so much?

Kageyama could tell that Hinata was a considerate person. He was probably better than most humans. He had given Kageyama a second chance against prejudice, instead of driving through the final blow. Kageyama had blown his last chance. Once he had reached a suitable depth, Hinata's grip had begun to loosen. Kageyama had faded away into the sea, watching the little orange human turn and walk away from him. Hinata walked through the water as if it was cement. As fast as Hinata had turned his back on him, Kageyama had done the same. He submerged himself in water, swimming swiftly away from the shore. Every stroke felt like his whole body was on fire. He didn't even think about this factor. It hurt way too much to even move.

Kageyama wondered if Hinata was all alone in that house. He wondered if Hinata, like himself, was also alone in this world. It would explain the painful look on his face. Someone who'd been alone their entire life would even welcome the company of their most feared enemy. Kageyama knew that well.

Swimming had become too painful, so it had evolved into merely floating with the current. It was like the early days of his childhood when he would let the sea take him into its shadows. He wondered this time what kind of darkness he would see, and what kind of echoes he might hear in the silence.

Kageyama closed his eyes and drifted away.


	7. Transmutation

# Transmutation

* * *

 

Oikawa's day went from bad to just plain shit, as per usual. After the storm, he was thankfully able to escape Ushijima's lingering claws. He hauled himself back to the castle, which was as quiet as he left it. Swimming drearily, he entered at an alarmingly slow pace. His mind was so lost in thought that he couldn't begin to function properly. There were two things which caused him to worry. 

First, he was desperate to know if Kageyama was alive. How should he proceed in either situation? 

Second, he saw a _faery_ on a _pirate_ ship. Was it possible they had joined forces? If they did, the sirens were about to encounter something very troublesome. The escalation of the conflict could prove too much for the people of the sea to handle. It only shows how much can slip past his gaze when he only has one eye open.

However, he had already decided. Their generation has done enough waiting and hiding in the shadows. It was about time they started to take the situation into their own hands. The longer they acted haphazardly, the more damage they could sustain.

As he entered the castle, it erupted in a fervor.

"Oikawa-san. You're back." Hanamaki called. His face twisted into an expression which was a mixture of humor and distress. "Oi...what happened to you? You look even crappier than usual."

"Why don't you just shut up, Maki? I ran into something a little problematic."

"Hey hey, what's with trying to downsize the situation?" Bokuto asked.

"I'm not doing anything like that!" Oikawa snapped.

"Oikawa-san...where's Kageyama?" Everyone stopped in their tread. It was the question with the most awaited answer. The temperature of the water around them was suddenly ice cold. Kiyoko's eyes locked on to Oikawa, her gaze soft and glaringly concerned.

"We ran into Ushijima...and some pirates," he replied.

"Ushijima?! Ushijima was there?" Tsutomu exclaimed. Oikawa flashed him a threatening look, and he was silenced immediately. He was looking towards Kiyoko, but he did not see her. The only thing he saw in his view was Kageyama's face as the wave crashed down on him. He didn't think he would ever be able to forget it. He so hoped the little brat was dead. Oikawa wanted that memory to remain one of a ghost. If Kageyama was alive, there's a chance he'd see that same face again, with the situation reversed. At this point in time, he wouldn't dare look his junior in the eyes. He would only be received with hatred. He knew that Kageyama would never understand, but could still recall exactly what he had seen in that moment.

_Oikawa had begun his hum, his siren's song. The atmosphere was at his mercy. The sky crackled and roared, opening up to slash at the objects below. Lightning flashed in a wave of searing light. It made contact with the boat immediately, engulfing the whole thing in flames. The waves surrounding the boat responded to his voice instantly, ruthlessly attacking. It was an explosion of wood and flames. He had done nothing but change the course of Ushijima's song, not having enough time to conjure his own. Half of the destruction was the sea's own doing._

_He looked beside him to see the young prince being repeatedly pummeled by the turmoil of the sea. Kageyama barely seemed conscious. Oikawa glared at the pitiful siren. That voice...he would crush it before it had the chance to mature. After all, he promised Kageyama death if he had heard him sing again. Although he was certainly heartless, he just couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. Kageyama choked out his name in pain, blood staining his face. As he did so, a raging wave came up behind him, carrying the culprit. Ushijima. Ushijima showed no regards to the half-dead Kageyama attempting to tread water. Oikawa knew what he had to do. He could kill two birds with one stone. He would sacrifice Kageyama in order to land at least one blow onto Ushijima. Oikawa slowly looked away from his junior's despair. In the periphery of his vision, he could see the burning hostility and resentment on his face. With the smallest hum, he summoned a heavy and powerful wave. The majority of the weight was caught by Kageyama, but Ushijima suffered the attack at its peak._

_Oikawa_ _felt that he_ _would never be able to forgive himself_.

It ended as it usually did, with Oikawa sitting at the top, left only with his pride and a slight pang of guilt. His gaze returned to the present, focusing his field of vision on Kiyoko. As their eyes met, her expression turned hard and cold. It seems she had felt it from the beginning

"Tobio-chan...might never be coming back." Kiyoko flinched at the sound of his words. "The storm was strong, and he was defenseless. I figured out the plan too late. Sorry...it's my fault." Oikawa sounded disheartened, but he could tell Kiyoko wasn't buying it. He could see the reflection of himself in her eyes. She turned away silently, paying no mind to the other sirens which had assembled. Her elegant tail rapidly propelled her away from the group and down the corridor.

"Oi oi, Kiyoko-san!" Bokuto called, swimming after her. His powerful, dolphin-like tail caught up with her swiftly.

"Hmmm is that so?" Tendou murmured. He had a playful and inquisitive look in his eyes.

"I was only lucky that I didn't catch many of those waves. I was able to get back to the rocks somehow," Oikawa replied.

"Yeah right, I don't think it was luck." Futakuchi scoffed. "We all know that Ushijima would never _actually_ try to kill you. He's too busy trying to woo you," he grumbled.

"Regardless of what his intentions were, I managed to do a number on the pirate ship." His voice was rising in tone, slowly returning to his childish self. "But, I saw something else that was frightening." Oikawa's gaze lowered, conveying his seriousness. The sirens around him stiffened at the sudden change in the aura. "On the ship that I saw today, there was a faery. It was not a captive, but a part of the crew."

"You're serious?" Hanamaki asked.

"Ah," he replied. Everyone seemed to tense up just by reflex. Faeries were ever evolving and annoying to deal with. Even those who've had their wings taken from them have proved to be pretty troublesome. If anything, a grounded faery working as a pirate was one thing, but a faery with wings...Young blood was always precious to them. For them to entrust one of their members to the pirates is proof of their alliance. "There was one there, wings and all."

"I'll take him down. He won't even see it coming!" Tsutomu cried. Tendou appeared at his shoulder like the devil, egging him on.

"Oh yeah? Let's do it. Let's break 'em," Tendou said.

"I doubt there's much of him left," Oikawa mumbled smugly.

"So we finally have proof of their superior alliance. What will the great Oikawa-san do?" Hanamaki deadpanned.

"It's about time a few of us go up there. I'll be going to the surface," he replied complacently.

"Huh?" Koganegawa murmured.

"Yes, you all heard me right. I haven't stretched my legs in awhile now that I think about it." Everyone responded with completely blank expressions. They weren't sure if they should be amused or fearful.

"Won't they think it's suspicious to have a naked man running around?" Hanamaki asked.

"Ah Maki, we have people for that sort of thing, don't you remember?" Oikawa tilted his head at the remark.

"Sounds reckless. Looks like this battle is going to be amusing!" Tendou said.

"Well, I'll just have to leave all underwater matters to my perfectly capable Maki and our Iron Wall of Date Cove, right?" he replied.

"What am I, the forgotten child?!" Tsutomu cried. Oikawa placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That goes without saying. I already rely on you so much, after all."

"I will not let you down!" Tsutomu declared, a burning fire in his eyes.

Oikawa had begun to swim away from the group, but half turned to give them all a cheeky smile.

"Remember, I believe in you." And with that, Oikawa had begun to make his way towards the surface.

Oikawa swam far from marauder's territory, allowing himself to be carried by the ocean's current. It steered him closer and closer to the shore. The further he swam, the more shadowed the water became. He came across an indent in the land where the sea had become murky and swampy. The shoreline broke into two. Here salt water met fresh water, and the sea flowed into the schism of the shore. This pool eventually narrowed into a river. It was two shallow for Oikawa to swim properly. He wormed his body down the waterway, leading himself inland. The forest hung over the water, hiding it from the sun. He found it was significantly colder than what he was used to. His journey lasted at least twenty minutes. Finally, the windy river steered him close behind a somewhat well-kept cottage. Oikawa could see candles lit on the first floor. He sprawled the entire length of his tail out in the stream, resting his head in the mud.

"Oi! Kunimi!" He got no response. "Ku-ni-miiii!" he called again. The back door of the cottage rustled. Oikawa looked up towards the sky. He supposed that it must early morning. A dark head of hair peeked out of the door with tired looking eyes.

Kunimi yawned, "Oikawa-sama?"

"Hello, my darling little Kunimi!"

"Ahh, what do you want?" he groaned. "It's too early in the morning to be seeing you."

"You liar! I'm sure seeing me has made your day five times better. I need some dry clothes...and a bath."

"That's it?" Kunimi asked. His voice was groggy and slow to respond. "Wait...you're not going to do...that thing again, are you?"

"Yeah! Wait for just a second, I can show you how it's—" Kunimi threw his hands up in protest immediately.

"Nope, nope. I'm good, really. I saw enough the first time," he cried. The tone of his voice was starting to lift, it seemed he was gradually waking up. "Remember to be quiet out here otherwise you might cause a hassle. Here, take my robe," he said, placing near the river. Kunimi was left with a tee shirt and pants. He hurried inside to escape to the chill of the morning. Oikawa waited until Kunimi was safely out of sight to begin his transformation.

"Alright legs, time to come on out." The sensation started in the tip of his plume of a tail fin. This was always the most painful part. The folds of his tail fin receded towards the base till his tail was only a stub. Oikawa clenched his teeth. He felt the heat in his tail, which stabbed every single one of his cells.

A true measure of a siren's power lies in how well they manage a transformation into a human form. The magical force used to change bodily forms is the same force used to manipulate water through sound. Those who can transform fast, painless, and completely are considered to be of the highest of caliber. The power to change is scarce. Not everyone has enough of it.

Oikawa had the ability to completely transform himself into a human in less than fifteen minutes, but it was not at all painless. He never bothered to wonder why. Oikawa used to believe that the pain had meant he had reached his limit. He saw that he would get left behind unless he could overcome this pain. After he spent much of his time defining his own limits, he decided he would break them. Oikawa decided that this cannot be the extent of his power. He finally came to the conclusion that things such as limits were only present if you believed in them. Talent was something you make bloom. He would rip apart every limit with his own two hands. To achieve this, he practiced nearly every day. Oikawa slowly gained a tolerance to the pain. As this tolerance grew, the further he was able to go in his transformation. The more he trained, the faster he became. His body was more disciplined that anyone else's. The excessive training he was scolded for had put him on the seat of the throne.

It started with his tail. At the stub, it began to separate into two. The schism continued upwards, stopping at what would soon be his hips. After his tail divided into two lanky limbs, the limbs started to take the shape of human legs. The stubs grew and morphed into the shape of feet. Smaller nubs emerged, toes were taking form. The muscles warped around the now divided bones. Lumps underneath his scales continued to move until they had settled into correct form. He now had two legs, every inch of them covered in jade scales. These scales would soon disappear with the swirling rosy bands around his arms, chest, and cheeks. The tiny minuscule scales submerged themselves in his skin. Those which were on his face and arms disappeared first, meeting in the middle at his chest. Next, his much larger sea-foam colored scales retracted. Each one felt like a small incision was being made on his body. He hissed, sucking in air to counteract the pain.

When it was all over and done, he was granted with two long and sleek limbs. His newly made legs gleamed in the pale morning light, bleeding in many places. It would be awhile before he would be in any shape to go into town. The places where his markings disappeared were like rough scrapes ripped open by sandpaper. This human body...his legs...it was so weak. He slowly slid into the robe Kunimi had left for him. He was now in his most vulnerable state. If someone was looking to kill him, this would be a prime opportunity. Oikawa's throat felt as if it was on fire. It was impossible to sing any sort of song with a human body. This is partially due to the fact that they are in a near constant state of dehydration. Over the next hour, his gills will have sealed themselves and in their place will be thin, pink lacerations.

As the King stood, his knees buckled under his weight. It was like standing on two pillars comprised of water. Clutching his sides, he staggered his way to the porch. By the time his fingers had closed around the door's handle, Oikawa was out of breath. He brought himself to the nearest piece of furniture and collapsed. The shame was beginning to rise in his chest. Evidently, he was intolerably out of practice. Soft footsteps engaged in short rhythms around him. Kunimi, who had been woken by Oikawa's sudden appearance was now unable to go back to sleep. 

"Here's some aloe, it should help with your wounds." Kunimi slid the container across the table. Oikawa reluctantly moved from his slumped over position to take the vessel in his hand. "Your old glasses are stored up somewhere around here. It'll take me a couple days to find them so you're going to have to survive until then."

"Sure, sure."

"Also, Oikawa-sama, I do have stuff to do today so–"

"Oi, don't worry about it Kunimi. Just run off and do your thing. Although, it would be nice to see what kids are getting into these days." Oikawa propped his head up on his palm.

"Oikawa-sama, it is way too early in the morning for an interrogation."

"Relax, I'm only teasing." Oikawa gave him a cheeky grin, which was only a pretext for his ulterior motive. Kunimi had long realized that Oikawa only visited the surface for a few reasons. One of them being he wants something which can only be provided by land-dwellers. Out of all the strange creatures he has met recently, Oikawa was still the one who made him the most uncomfortable. When he looked at you, it was like he could stare right into the deepest parts of your inner psyche.

Somewhere deep in his gut tightened as he felt the change of tide about to come. Kunimi felt nothing but anxiety and discontent. 


	8. How to Reach

# How to Reach

* * *

 

After he was released back into the sea by Hinata, he hauled his failing body into a shadowy cove. For days on end, Kageyama has laid half in the water, half out, unmoving. If he had to guess, he would say that a week or so has passed.

Time seemed hardly as concrete as it appeared. He realized that to categorize time–past, present, and future–was a wasted effort. It was impossible to separate them anyways. Any moment in time could be easily consumed by another. But the moments that he was living in now...he bathed himself in self-hatred and defeat, in pity. If he had the strength, he'd smile at himself out of disgust.

Kageyama had suddenly become aware of how much his own existence had disintegrated. The only thing left was to lie still. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he knew the true meaning of stillness. There were no cares or worries to be found. There was not a single expectation. If he was to waste away, then he was to waste away. 

Introspection really didn't suit him. Yet, he just couldn't seem to die. When you are dead, but can't die, it's a troublesome thing. He intently watched the water ripple and bend. His stomach ached and clenched, practically caving in on itself.

Kageyama was starving. He needed food. Slowly but surely, he ignored the aches in his gut and propped himself up on his elbows. He groaned out of pain and exhaustion. Surely if he laid here long enough, he would die. He just had to wait a little longer, except...

Patience was not one of his virtues. 

He scarcely managed to pull himself upright. The throbbing in his head refused to cease.

Suddenly, far towards the entrance to the cove, a shrill voice echoed through the caverns. Kageyama's whole body jolted. He could feel his muscles slowly tensing, winding their coils. The echoes got louder as the object progressively came closer. Soon enough, he could even hear the sound of light footsteps colliding against the cold rock.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Kageyama's whole body froze. That voice...of course. The only one who would ever reach out here would be that person. The steps continued to thunder through the cove. The cat came first, taking each step with leaps and bounds. "Natsu wait up!" Hinata called. He started to run a little faster to match pace with the feline, but misfortune followed him. As he jumped across the rocks, their slickness caught his momentum. Hinata found himself flying backward, landing awkwardly on gravel and water. Kageyama stared at the clumsy human with wide eyes.

"Damn it, that hurt." As Hinata finally opened his eyes, his gaze immediately locked with Kageyama's. "Geh!" he yelled and jumped backward instinctively. "You...why are you here?!" 

"Huh?" he grunted. "I was here first. Why are _you_ here?" Kageyama scowled.

"I asked you first!" They sat still for several moments, intensely glaring at each other. It was a battle to establish dominance. Hinata was the first to cave. Kageyama scoffed triumphantly.

"God, you piss me off. YOU PISS ME OFF! Just who do you think you are?" Hinata yelled angrily.

"Well actually, I'm a Prince." His reply was frank.

"WHAT?!" Hinata gives him the once over. "If you're a Prince, why are you hiding out here looking like shit? I mean I know I kicked you out but surely you'd have pulled yourself together by now." Kageyama's brow twitched with anger. A dark expression crossed his face.

"It's too complicated for you to understand," he growled.

"Hmmm,  is that so?"

"IF I COULD GO BACK, I WOULD ALRIGHT?!" Kageyama's face was twisted with anger and frustration. He fought to suppress a wince of pain. Damn. Moving around this much was surely not good for him. With these injuries, it's not like he could have gone very far. Hinata's eyes had widened. Kageyama could see his facial features fluctuate through his thick bangs. It was an interesting sight. The little human's expressions could be deciphered just from the way his hair bounced.

"Oh? How badly did the Prince screw up?" Hinata's eyes seem to portray both deviousness and surprise at the same time.

"I didn't mess up! What is that, a joke?!" He had to look away from Hinata's face. Through gritted teeth, he continued to speak. "I...I was just...thrown aside." Saying it aloud was like a rock thrown straight into his gut. "Though I guess...I might have broken a rule."

"You broke a rule? What rule? Don't tell me you got chewed out for being a pervert?!" Hinata exclaimed.

"It's nothing like that," he snapped. "Oikawa-sa...The King has forbidden me from singing."

"Is your voice that lousy that the Siren King had to forbid you from singing?" Hinata was nearly hysterical with laughter.

"It's not, you dumbass! That's not the reason."

"So, did he catch you in the act or something?" 

"Something like that," Kageyama mumbled. His face was the most tortured it had ever been. Seeing his expression, Hinata raised a brow. His face slowly softened from sheer bewilderment and awe. Despite his lack of understanding, Hinata's face became strangely solemn.

"Kageyama," Hinata paused. He waited for the siren to acknowledge his voice. Kageyama slowly turned his head towards the orange fluff ball. "To me, you're like the sea."

"Huh?" Kageyama cocked his head to the side, a vacuous air was about him. Hinata bit his lower lip. 

 _He's like the sea_ , Hinata had thought. _He's a victim, barely able to control his own pain, and lashed out at others because of it._

However, Hinata knew that saying that sort of thing out loud would make Kageyama sound broken. It was the last thing he needed to hear. He held his tongue tightly and resisted the impulse.

All the while, the siren continued to be perpetually confused by the little human's ways. Kageyama could only wonder what it was that had the gears in Hinata's small brain working so hard.

"Why are you so fixated on this anyways?" Hinata asked.

"Idiot!" Kageyama exploded. "Without a song, a siren has nothing. A siren without a song would be like a sky without a sun."

"That would just be night then, wouldn't it?" Hinata seemed to be half way to a smile. Kageyama retorted with a fierce glare.

His sincerity. It's his sincerity that irks him the most. The second would be the way he simplifies all of the world's problems. Hinata makes everything sound so easy. Seeing his spirit, his anger boiled.

It made him want to be the one to teach him that the world is not so simple and easy.

"Kageyama, can you sing me a song?" Hinata asked. Kageyama reeled backward, completely baffled.

"Why the hell would I do that?" he barked.

"Why not? Those rules don't really apply anymore, do they? Unless you really are just that bad of a singer. They say a siren's song is special." Before Kageyama could realize it, Hinata was getting right up in his face. "I want to hear it," he said. Hinata's face was practically beaming. Kageyama spat to the side of him. There was no limit to the amount of buttons this kid could push in one day. His anger was rising and he was slowly, yet surely, completely losing his cool.

"I-I know some songs but..they don't work." Kageyama chewed the words around in his mouth. They tasted like blood and defeat. It was disgusting. The words were hard to say and even harder for him to understand. What did it take for a song to connect? What was it that he was lacking? Why can't he understand? Why was he the only one out of the loop?

His list of unanswered questions seemed to grow by the day.

Just then, Hinata's voice shot through his thoughts like a bolt of lighting. His train of thought was cut off all too abruptly.

"Stupid! What do you mean they don't work? A song is supposed to touch someone's heart. I said you reminded me of the sea, right? If you're like the sea, there's no way that people can't be moved by them!" Hinata's voice was so loud that it made him flinch. It was never hoarse or screeching, just loud. Kageyama could imagine the reaction he was supposed to have. He could imagine his own eyes wide with realization, the face of an epiphany. Instead, his blood boiled and his face darkened. He bared his teeth, his lip curling back into a scowl.

"What do you know about a song? What do you know about the sea? You can't tell me that you could possibly know what it's like! You just don't get it, and you never will. You're only a mere human," he snarled. "It's not like your livelihood or existence depends on it. I'm sure you've never known what it feels like to work so hard, and _still_ be the only one whose a broken link. All you ever do is waste your life away." As he said his final line, Hinata recoiled. It was like Kageyama had thrown hot water on him. He was burning, and Kageyama only sat there and watched it happen.

"Ah, that's right. Sorry...I forgot." Hinata's voice had warped in a strange way. It hardly sounded familiar. The way his shoulders had slumped portrayed a level of defeat near impossible to feel. He clenched his teeth, swallowing the bile that was rising in his throat.

What is a song? What is a song supposed to do? He could only recall purely factual and technical answers. Nothing that was stored in his brain could provide an answer for this situation. Rustling came from Hinata's direction. His small figure had started to stand again. 

Because of him, Hinata was going to leave again. Because of him, he was about to walk himself to the edge of his own grave. He will be the one to cause his own demise. His chest twisted, choking his lungs. Kageyama wanted to shout, but he could barely breathe. This was not his second chance, but his third. Every time the universe had given him even an inch of rope, all he did was burn it. He never once thought to grab onto it, to hold it with all his might. Maybe this time, he should. But how could he ever hold onto something, when he didn't even know how to reach?

At the very least, Kageyama didn't want to be alone in this world anymore.

Wait, there it is. That's his answer. It's right in front of him. All he has to do is reach out and grab it. _Lift his arm, lean forward, hold out his hand_...just reach out, God damn it. Kageyama started to panic as he realized that he was paralyzed. His body filled with true fear.

"Well, goodbye." The human's voice was stiff and dry. Hinata's back was already turned towards him. He wondered if this is what it was like to feel powerless. If life really was a game, he wanted to stay in it. He wanted to win.  He wouldn't get to win if all he did was wait for it to happen. While he was panicking, Hinata was already halfway to the exit of the cove. As Kageyama clenched his fists, some pebbles got whisked away into his grasp. He couldn't speak, so he exhaled deeply, and sang.

 _"Can you hear me out this time,  
Just a minute let me find my thoughts.  
'Cause I can't think straight in the silence,  
And Jupiter ain't seen a storm like this, no.  
'Cause it's so hard out on the sidelines,  
When I just want to blow this ten miles wide.  
And I can't help but keep on thinking,  
These thoughts are gonna bury me alive._  
  
_But this jealousy won't get the best of me.  
Maybe if I just had more patience I could be..._  
  
_So far from here.  
And the stars they'll guide me on...  
When I falter.  
And everything comes crumbling down,  
'Cause it does, and it will.  
It's not heaven.  
But we got so close._  
  
_In the aftermath this vacuum's lifeless.  
The afterglow makes the past so inviting.  
Who knew?_  
  
_I hear them say that I'm caught up with my head lost and found.  
But I know exactly where I wish I was if I could only  
Just keep on moving, 'cause I got a vision.  
If I can I'm running to wherever I gotta go.  
I'm sorry I gotta go.  
But these words lose their meaning,  
'Cause I just keep repeating them like that'll make them come alive.  
But they're only words and you know it.  
He's always known better than I do._  
  
_And it feels like I know nothing but envy.  
Maybe if I just had more patience I would be..._  
  
_So far from here.  
And the stars they'll guide me home...  
When I falter.  
And everything comes crumbling down,  
'Cause it has and it will.  
You're no savior.  
But we got so close._  
  
_That liar,_  
_And I fell for every word._  
 _Who knew?_  
 _He lied,_  
 _But maybe I wanted him to._  
 _Who knew?_  
 _Who knew?"_

The moment Kageyama's voice had rasped out, Hinata had turned sharply on his heel. His eyes were glued to the Prince, completely captivated. His voice became clearer as he continued to sing. The lithe earthling took slow steps towards Kageyama, entranced by the sound of his voice. When he had reached the end of his song, he felt more exhausted than he had ever felt in his life. Every breath, every syllable, ever line was like fire running through his throat. His chest was near collapsing in on itself.

It had strayed from what Kageyama had wanted to say, but once he started, he was unable to stop. All of his pent up despair came pouring out. It was a flood of scalding water. A release of hot anger and confusion.

Even so, he didn't want to keep sitting out on every chance he got. If his arms wouldn't move, then so be it. He would reach out in his own way. He just wanted his words to reach him: to reach Hinata.

"Ka-Kageyama..." Hinata murmured.

"Huh?" he panted. He gathered his resolve and reluctantly lifted his head to meet Hinata's gaze. His bangs covered his eyes still, but his bottom lip trembled. He lifted a shaking hand to gesture towards him, almost through him. Or rather, was he gesturing behind him? Kageyama slowly turned his head, only to find the once serene pool had compiled itself into a threatening wave. It towered over them, casting a dark, narrow shadow. His eyes widened in horror. Kageyama was petrified. As he stared into the depths of the shallow wave, the subtle darkness took his mind and twisted it to manifest a much darker memory. It was the scene which was seared into his brain several nights ago. When he looked into the veil of water, the face he saw looking back at him was not his own, but Oikawa's. His indifferent gaze, followed by the pain of his own ribs breaking. Then came an even greater disaster. The wave seemed to bypass him and instead was drawing itself towards Hinata.

"Hinata!" he screamed. He lunged out of the water, fighting against all barriers of pain. The siren threw himself at the human and while they both fell to the ground, Kageyama prepared to shield the small body with his own. As he looked down at Hinata, his eyes only saw himself. It was his own expression, the one he wore at the time the wave crashed into him. Kageyama's connection between him and the pool broke, and the wave released itself onto him. The sheer force of the water was like a hard slap to back. He regrettably coughed up dark blood onto Hinata's fair skin. 

When all the water had dispersed, Kageyama groaned and rolled off the small figure. He was completely shocked by his own behavior. He had actually thought to protect someone; and a human, no less. His vision around him became unsteady. Shit, he had really done it now. Kageyama wondered if his body would be stubborn enough to survive this. He was not ready to give up, but he could feel himself fading. His world was getting darker.

"KAGEYAMA! Oi, stay with me here. You're not about to die on me, are you Bakageyama?" Hinata's voice sounded so desperate. He was the only light left in his sunken world. 

"Are you an idiot? Of course I won't, you dumbass." Kageyama's voice was barely above a whisper. He coughed again, hacking up more blood from his mouth. He could taste the bitter iron on his tongue.

Shit. It tastes horrible.

"Kageyama, stay in the game, you hear me?! Don't you dare lose," Hinata

There wasn't any time for him to even think about death, about what just happened, or about what would happen next; all of that was overcome by pain. His eyes fluttered closed, almost reluctantly. An overly familiar darkness descended upon his mind.

"Kageyama!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama sings "Jupiter" by EDEN in this chapter.
> 
> I know. Kags needs a break. I'm really sorry. Truly, I am. This boy needs his milk. I promise...wait I don't want to say anything I'll regret here. Well, he will have his good moments soon! If you're thinking this will just be a never ending cycle of despair and darkness for him, think again. This dork will return to his idiot self soon!
> 
> For those questioning his physical state:  
> 1\. He has sustained serious and life threatening injuries from the days before and has not been given proper time or nourishment to heal.  
> 2\. It is extremely hard/very painful to move with a broken rib.  
> 3\. He can't go fully back out into the sea out of fear (he might be found by Oikawa).  
> 4\. Basically, he sucker punched himself with his own magic. Their bodies are not invincible.
> 
> I'm not sure if I made all of this clear so I just wanted to get this out there. :)
> 
> Also, please make sure to check out the extras I've posted at the beginning of the story. On explains the current universe they are living in as well as the different species, and the other is a beautiful video compilation of the haikyuu seiyuus singing...*bathes in heavenly light*
> 
> I seem to be completely baffled by the fact that I can write over 10000 words of a fanfiction in a little under a month but I can't even do my math homework. What is this?! *whispers* the fandom breathes life into me...
> 
> ~ obryzii


	9. The Pitfalls

# The Pitfalls

* * *

 

It has been a week and a half since Oikawa has come ashore. He maintained a low profile for the first half. The scent of the sea on his body was far too strong. During that time, he had been living in Kunimi's residence. Oikawa hadn't wasted a single chance to indulge in pestering Kunimi. Since the scent has faded, Oikawa was now able to mingle seamlessly within the landwalkers society. Kunimi couldn't resist exhaling a huge sigh of relief. Oikawa had visited him several times in the past, but this time was different. There was a certain air about him, some mystical aura that made his stomach churn. He couldn't help but feel slightly soothed now that Oikawa was spending more time outside of his home. He was absolutely unreadable. Kunimi could never quite decipher what the siren was thinking. Though this time, he knew Oikawa was not here for fun. Surely behind his carefree facade, there was a devious master plan. He had done his best to keep himself collected, though it could just be all for naught. Oikawa has likely already seen right through him.

When he had shown up on Kunimi's doorstep, he desperately wanted to refuse him. However, such a thing was impossible. After all, he owed Oikawa a life debt.

He was unable to remember the exact day, month, or year, but it happened when he was very young. Kunimi and Kindaichi had been playing near the shore until a massive storm hit. They were both swept out to sea. When the storm had passed, Kunimi awoke to find himself saved from what he thought would be certain death. His savior sat before him, scales gleaming in the light. He had swirling markings across his skin; tiny, microscopic scales the color of cherry blossom petals. His long brown hair was wet, plastered to his back. Kunimi understood immediately. What he had encountered was a siren. Ingrown feelings of fear began swelling in his chest. This beautifully alluring creature was the monsters that plagued children's nightmares. However, without his help, he was sure that he and Kindaichi would have surely died. He thanked the siren for his service and begged him to spare them both.

The siren had agreed to spare them on the condition that he would give shelter to the sirens in the days to come. Kunimi, young and naive, had agreed to his terms enthusiastically. Such a simple thing was easy to trade if it meant they could keep their lives. They had sealed the promise with a song, which was practically akin to subjugation. When performed willingly by both parties, a special bond can be developed similarly to that of a servant and master. By the time Kindaichi had returned to consciousness, the siren had disappeared into the sea and the damage was done. They both returned home and resumed their lives with very few cares.

What he hadn't known at the time were the repercussions that would come with it. Kindaichi and the others would never know it, but Kunimi was tied down for life. Even a hint of that song in Oikawa's voice, and he would be forced to obey. He had unknowingly made a deal with the devil.

It was unlikely that Oikawa had ever planned to actually kill them back then, though he seemed sincere at the time. The one thing that scared Kunimi the most about Oikawa was not the fact that he was a siren, but his ability to exploit the innocence and weakness of others. This fact still holds true, even in the present. Therefore when the two were walking side by side, Kunimi couldn't help but harbor feelings of unease.

"Seems busy in the village center today, doesn't it?" Oikawa asked. Kunimi flinched, as he was lost in thought.

"Ah...well, several of the ships are scheduled to return to the docks today."

"Oh?" Oikawa's eyelids dropped lazily over his eyes. "How many would you say are returning?"

"Two," Kunimi frowned. The feelings of betrayal he felt to his own people never subsided. He has no inclination of what Oikawa's position is in the Waterworld, but he wouldn't guess anything less than nobility. Even in dirt-old clothes with permanent creases, his regal disposition still shined through. With his long hair tied up into a smooth ponytail, he looked even more refined. Furthermore, it was near impossible for Kunimi to walk beside him when they were downtown. He attracted hordes of women, whether he intended to or not. It was a siren's disposition, no doubt. It took almost every single nerve in Kunimi's body to resist shouting his true identity. The moment Oikawa had wandered from his side, a new source of worry appeared.

"Oi, Kunimi!" Kunimi turned towards the source of the voice.

"Ah, Kuroo Taichou." Kuro calmly walked towards Kunimi along the outskirts of the mob. His hands were thrown lazily into his pockets. He flicked his head towards Oikawa.

"That's your relative from inland, isn't it?" Kuroo asked.

"Yes," Kunimi replied curtly.

"It's been awhile since he last came out to visit, right?" Kuroo asked. "The last time was several years ago I believe." Kunimi couldn't help but avert his gaze. He nodded. Kuroo had been suspicious of him ever since the day he and Kindaichi returned from the storm unharmed. He was the only one who seemed to recognize the phenomenon for what it was. Kuroo's eyes on him had always felt like the sun's rays before it left a burn. "Do you know how I got this scar, Kunimi?" Kunimi tensed as he spoke. His head calmly turned towards Kuroo, looking him in the eyes properly for the first time in a long time.

On his left cheek, there was a startling scar. Its ragged shape was sharp like a shard of glass though no thicker than a tree branch. It ranged from the height of his cheek bone to the nape of his neck. He stared at him with dead, yet discerning eyes.

"I don't believe you've ever told me that story, Taichou." Kunimi's voice was stolid.

"Naturally, it was a sea creature. That's about the only thing that can cut through skin that's as thick as ours. We are ourselves are not invincible, you know." Kuroo lowered his gaze, "Don't let your guard down."

"I prefer to leave the confrontations to much braver people, such as yourself," Kunimi said. Kuroo smirked at his words.

"I see the bow on the horizon!" a voice yelled. Kuroo pulled his hand-held telescope up to his eye.

"Ah, that's Seijoh's bleakhead all right. Seems the rest of the rugrats are back as well." He tucks the tool back into his coat pocket. Kuroo clapped Kunimi firmly on the shoulder. "You look after that cousin of yours, yeah? He's quite the lively one." With that, Kuroo had sauntered away, seeming all too comfortable. He narrowed his eyes.

"Kunimi-chan~"

Kunimi stiffly turned to meet Oikawa's gaze. His eyelashes hung low over his eyes, casting a shadow over his inquisitive gaze. It was obvious what information he desired.

"They're back," Kunimi replied.

"Oh?" Oikawa asked.

While the ships pulled into the harbor, the village center had begun to bustle with life. Oikawa had retreated to the periphery, watching from afar. As soon as they were securely docked, the shipmates began rushing several of the landers off the ship. One, in particular, had to be carried out on a stretcher. However, he had yet to find the confirmation he was looking for.

Perhaps, on that day, he had not seen faeries on a pirate ship. He was delusional–or so he wanted to believe. The moment he began to doubt himself was the moment they had appeared.

From what he could see, there were three of them in total. The crew members interacted with them calmly, as fluid as they would with any of their other members. They were surely allies, no doubt about it. He could foresee the coming days becoming exceedingly troublesome for the sirens, especially. Oikawa sighed inwardly. The only thing that gave him the slightest whiff of satisfaction was the tattered state and bitter expression of the crew. The poor little dears, he had thought. They were merely toys that were unknowingly tossed into a game of war.

It's a miracle they had survived, really. One of them must have flown from the shipwreck to alert the landers while the others assisted the crewmembers.

In the midst of all the yelling and chaos, there was one earthling who stood confidently above everyone else. He was the eye of the storm, directing the winds as they go. The man was a brash-looking pirate with a commanding presence. He was surrounded by the strength of heart. This person, he thought, must be the one that leads them. At least, he was the designated leader in this situation. He had brunette hair that was relatively short but sharply stood up on all sides. Oikawa let a small smirk escape him.

Kill the shepherds and the sheep will scatter.

 

 

Oikawa had then spent the day lingering around places that were considered to be popular social platforms. Later on in the evening, he finally made his way to the small town's only pub. There he had quickly enchanted the hearts of those around him, especially the women. They devoured his flamboyant behavior with greedy eyes and deep swoons. Oikawa only served to encourage their behavior further.

It was not the women he was after but rather the gossip that came along with them. His social escapade throughout town was not for amusement or for enjoyment. With so much chaos down at the harbor, there was bound to be vibrant chatter of information. Not to mention, sea-worn sailors would be strolling their way into the pub, looking for something to become a temporary fix for their worries and cares. They would sit at the counter, moaning and groaning while downing glass after glass. Oikawa had integrated himself into that chain of relief. While they drank, he smiled, sang, and listened intently to their rants. He had yet to meet a single one who resented his practice. There were not many who would refuse the company of a refined feminine-looking man with a silvery voice.

Essentially, in less than a day, he had become the town's most popular host.

"Oi," a man had called, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Oikawa turned around to meet the man's eyes. His eyes were passively staring at him, dropping his weight onto one leg. "What does it take to get you to sing?"

Oikawa grinned smoothly, "All you have to do is ask." He pressed his fingertips together. "May I ask who's asking?"

"The name's Matsukawa," the man replied. He relaxed his arms, letting his thumbs hang on the pockets of his pants.

"Alright, Mattsun." Matsukawa flinched at the sound of the newly formed nickname. "Am I dedicating this to anyone special?" Oikawa asked.

Matsukawa simply shrugged, "No one in particular." He sauntered away as quietly and as calmly as he came. Oikawa watched his first few steps intently, then cleared his throat. He made his way towards the center of the room where he could be seen by everyone.

"Attention, everyone," he called. More and more heads started turning in his direction. The attention hardly bothered him. If anything, it only egged him on. He was one of those people who naturally had a very charismatic atmosphere around him. As a siren, he would be lying if he said that there was never a time when he had abused it. For him, it was all too easy to reel others in. "I was given the honor of being asked to sing, and I ask for your help in this task as well. " Oikawa had begun clapping the beat with his hands. Once people started to join him, he added the sound of his feet as well. Soon the room had taken control over the song, and all that was left for him was to sing.

 _"We got a lot of time to get it right_  
_It feels good to mess it up, maybe don't think about it_  
_Going late night who needs a fantasy_  
_Buzzing on Hennessy_  
_Class like a Kennedy_  
_And you're my nation, my revolution_  
_Living right now, well you can call it disillusioned_

 _Until tomorrow comes_  
_This is how we run_

 _So take the good stuff, honey_  
_The money just won't buy_  
_Spend it up however we like_  
_So take the good stuff, honey_  
_The money just won't buy_  
_Don't try to save us_  
_Cause we're doing it right_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_

 _It's my life_  
_If I'm gonna waste it_  
_Gonna waste it on you_  
_It's my life_  
_If I'm gonna waste it_  
_I'll be wasted on you"_

In the middle of his song, he could see the door open out of the corner of his eye. Through the door came the shepherd, the authoritative man he had seen getting off the boat that pulled into the harbor this morning. He was unfazed by the commotion around him, though when he glanced at Oikawa it seemed as if he was repressing a look of disgust. Oikawa continued to sing, careful not to get disheveled by his sudden appearance.

 _"Look what you did to me_  
_A rebel born free_  
_Running wild through the concrete jungle_  
_Now I can't seem to stay away_  
_Hell, I know that I'm gonna pay_  
_But I do it anyway_  
_You're the ultimate high that I'm tripping on_  
_You're the edge of the cliff that I'm hanging on_

 _Until tomorrow comes_  
_This is how we run..."_

The man walked in a deliberate yet relaxed manner towards the back of the room where the bar counter was. Oikawa watched as he took a seat beside Matsukawa.

"So you finally showed up, huh Iwaizumi Taichou?" Matsukawa smirked slightly.

 _Iwaizumi Taichou_ , Oikawa had thought, twisting the words around in his mouth. Although, it was already painfully obvious to Oikawa from the first moment that this man–Iwaizumi–was not some mere subordinate. He was not in the least bit surprised.

"You owe me a meal."

"Oh shut your trap," Iwaizumi scowled.

 _"...So take the good stuff, honey_  
_The money just won't buy_  
_Spend it up however we like_  
_So take the good stuff, honey_  
_The money just won't buy_  
_Don't try to save us_  
_Cause we're doing it right_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth"_

From across the room, Oikawa locked eyes with Iwaizumi. His eyelids lowered, unknowingly looking at him as he would a woman. Iwaizumi squirmed uncomfortably underneath his gaze.

 _"It's my life._  
_If I'm gonna waste it,_  
_Gonna waste it on you._  
_It's my life._  
_If I'm gonna waste it,_  
_I'll be wasted on you._

 _I tell myself_  
_If I'm gonna fall_  
_It'll be from high places_  
_Even when it hurts_  
_At least we loved hard_  
_Didn't we, baby?_

 _We are, we are the wasted youth_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_  
_We are, we are the wasted youth_

 _It's my life._  
_If I'm gonna waste it,_  
_Gonna waste it on you._  
_It's my life._  
_If I'm gonna waste it,_  
_I'll be wasted on you."_

When he finished the song, he bowed low and straight. He made his rounds through the audience as he received his applause. Oikawa slowly drifted towards the back of the room where Iwaizumi sat. He was bothered by his near outright display of discontent. As expected, each encounter was becoming more interesting than the last. He boldly interjected himself into the empty space beside Iwaizumi, leaning into the counter.

"Bartender," Oikawa called. "I could use a drink." The bartender slides one across the table to him.

"You need to slow your roll, pretty boy," the bartender jeered. "If you're not careful, everyone here is gonna forget you're a man." Iwaizumi scoffed at the remark. Oikawa glanced over to his side, downing the shot glass in an instant.

"Oh? That might just work out for me then since the women in this town just _can't_ seem to forget." Beside him, Iwaizumi nearly spit out his drink. He turned to glare at Oikawa.

"What a useless manwhore," he growled. Oikawa's brows furrowed with an innocent expression on his face. He rested his cheek on his palm. For a pirate, the man was pretty good looking. He had a ruggedly handsome air about him with a stern face. Seeing his serious expression made Oikawa want to break it.

"Have I unintentionally offended you, sir?" Oikawa asked. Beside Iwaizumi, Matsukawa was struggling to suppress his laughter. Iwaizumi slammed his elbow on the table, lifting a finger from his drink.

"Listen here, you. The only thing I hate more than sirens are men that women squeal over," Iwaizumi retorted. Oikawa laughed outright at the irony.

"What is it? Can you not understand the appeal?"

"Huh?! What are you saying?"

"Iwaizumi Taichou," Oikawa's eyes were locked onto his. "Have you ever been with a man?" Iwaizumi's face took on an expression of horror and disgust, though there was an unmistakable blush on his face as well.

"Of course I haven't! Why the hell would you even say that?!" Iwaizumi clamored. Oikawa cocked his head and smiled at him.

"Well, I could go both ways, to be honest."

"That's disgusting," he grumbled.

"Hmm, is that so?" Oikawa purred. He quickly turned away from Oikawa's gaze. Out of nowhere, Oikawa began singing again. This time was different from the first, however. Less playful, less uplifting...more alluring. Iwaizumi stiffened as Oikawa looked at him through narrowed eyes.

 _"Whisper, say my name_  
_The lights are gettin' lower_  
_Trouble, from your lips_  
_One taste, I'm goin' over_  
_Falling, between_  
_This feel is what I'm after_  
_Empty, need the high_  
_Fix me, I'm feelin' sober"_

Oikawa gets up from his seat and puts his arms around Iwaizumi's neck, his chest leaning up against his back.

 _"I don't even care, yeah you got me, good_  
_We don't gotta know if we should_  
_Gettin' lost on you, yeah you said I could_  
_Cause you know that, cause you know_

 _Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you"_

  
The siren leaned in towards Iwaizumi's face, whispering the song into his ear softly.

 _"Once you get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got you trippin', oh_  
_High off of me"_

Iwaizumi shoves Oikawa off him, and he stumbles. He grabs onto Iwaizumi's shoulder to save himself from falling over completely. Oikawa chuckles lightly to himself.

 _"You keep me from crashing down_  
_Stay a little longer,_  
_Stay a little longer with me._

 _Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you."_

  
Slowly yet surely, the pair started to attract more and more eyes around the room. Iwaizumi glanced around him, wholeheartedly captivated by the fact that he, of all people, was being serenaded publicly. Even the stoic Matsukawa had his brows raised as he watched Oikawa's routine. Some eyes were disturbed while others glared at him with an impassioned envy and resentment.

 _"Darkness, chase the day_  
_No light, the sun is rising_  
_Burnin', skin to skin_  
_Meltin', you can't fight it_  
_Slippin', under_  
_The heat, that we keep bringin'_  
_Listen, in my head_  
_With you, you keep it spinning"_

  
Having stepped away from Iwaizumi, Oikawa was now progressively making his way closer again. He leaned his body against the counter. For Iwaizumi, the problem was not the various looks coming from the bystanders; it was the man with the seductive voice.

 _"I don't even care, yeah you got me, good_  
_We don't gotta know if we should_  
_Gettin' lost on you, yeah you said I could_  
_Cause you know that, cause you know_

 _Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you._

 _Once you get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got you trippin', oh_  
_High off of me._

 _You keep me from crashing down_  
_Stay a little longer_  
_Stay a little longer with me_

 _Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you."_

  
Oikawa came dangerously close to Iwaizumi again. His soft cheek brushed up against his slight stubble. His ponytail swung so that it draped over Iwaizumi's shoulder. When it brushed up against his neck, he found it to be sleek, like the feathers of a waterfowl. Oikawa's hands moved a little lower down his chest. What a shameless bastard.

 _"You keep me from crashing down_  
_Yeah, you got it figured out_  
_Cause you get me high_  
_High off of you"_

  
However, no matter what he said, _he_ was the one who was letting him drape his hands all over him. The second time he had made his way towards him, Iwaizumi did nothing to push him away.

 _"Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you."_

Oikawa's hand slid along his jaw, tilting Iwaizumi's head upwards towards him. Iwaizumi found himself charmed by his enchanting eyes, though he refused to let it show. Outwardly, it seemed as if he remained positively annoyed by the suggestive behavior. Oikawa didn't let that phase him one bit.

 _"Once you get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got you trippin', oh_  
_High off of me."_

Finally, Iwaizumi found that his own eyelids started to droop. He felt like squirming. The world around him turned into a dreamscape. Everything else could be rotating around them at the speed of light and he would not notice.

What was this? The feeling was strangely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He had felt this feeling in another place, at another time. His instincts were telling him that he should resist, resist and move as far away as possible.

Is it possible that he had actually gotten high off this feeling?

Iwaizumi closed his eyes. He could close his eyes all he wanted, but he was not able to close his ears. It continued to ring clearly through his head, perhaps even more so now that he had blocked all visual stimulus.

Damn, he could easily get addicted to this.

 _"You keep me from crashing down._  
_Stay a little longer,_  
_Stay a little longer with me._

 _Once I get it, oh_  
_So addicted, oh_  
_Got me trippin', oh_  
_High off of you._  
_High off of you~"_

Oikawa turned Iwaizumi's chin to the side, following the motion of his own body. He brought his face close to his, merely inches away.

"Hey, Iwa-chan," Oikawa purred. Iwaizumi opened his eyes slowly. The siren smiled at how much the pirate had gotten caught up in his pace. "Don't knock until you've tried it, yeah?" Iwaizumi's eyes widened as he realized just exactly what Oikawa had been referring to. He released his chin and stepped away. The leftover ambiance was making the entire room restless. Oikawa turned to the bartender.

"You know the drill. Just add it on my tab. If you really need to come find me, I'll be staying at my cousin's place." Oikawa saluted the bartender and turned to leave. Iwaizumi's mouth hung open slightly as he watched him leave. It was his equivalent to gaping. Oikawa casually sauntered out of the bar, head lowered to hide his smirk.

He had not even used a lick of his siren abilities, not that he could in this state. Today's display could hardly hold a candle to what he could do in his true form. If this was all it took to get a landwalker–the stern-faced captain, no less–underneath his thumb, this was going to be easier than he thought. If he succeeded, everything he could ever need or want would fall right into his hands.

Before he knew it, it was decided. He would no longer settle for the fragmented conversations of drunk men and superfluous women. It's imperative that he moves on from this task, and quickly. He's spent too much time focused on a single goal. If he doesn't maintain a broad perspective, something is bound to slip past him.

Kageyama...is he alive? Furthermore, he had the feeling he was being stalked like a hawk and its prey. He was a foreign entity in a village where tourists just don't appear on a whim. With his every move being watched and analyze, he would have no time to confirm it. His actions today had multiplied the risks surrounding it.

Oikawa had not walked very far from the bar when he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The ocean breeze on the surface heavily contrasted the underwater temperature. In the sea, it was easier to adapt to the water's temperature changes. On land, it was so much harder. He kept on walking until a poignant, salty smell wafted toward him.

"Oikawa-sama," a silvery voice called. Immediately, he looked up from his feet and whipped his head to the source of the sound. His eyes widened. The expression on his face flashed swiftly between surprise, disgust, and horror.

This.

This will be the thing that ruins everything.

Standing before him was Kiyoko, who was piercing into him with an unwavering gaze. The atmosphere around her was unsettling. It got underneath his skin, peeling it away piece by piece. However, the most surprising part of it all was the fact that she stood before him. She stood, meaning on _two legs_. Sometime between the time that he left and now, she had managed to complete a full transformation. He now understood the depth of his actions. Oikawa had pushed the one person into action that should never be provoked. If she managed this much in a week, how much damage could she cause in a day?

He was frozen in his place, overtaken by shock. She began to walk towards him with shaky steps, but the fact that she was even walking was...

"Oikawa-sama," she called out again. It sounded much more assertive than the first, even a hint of resentment was in her tone. She stopped just before she was to walk past him.

"The days of you doing as you please are over," she said. This time it was outright bitterness. His eyes remained perpetually horrified, even as she passed him. She disappeared again into the darkness, and he exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He gasped for air, glancing around him to assess his surroundings. The paranoia was already starting to seep in. Oikawa forcefully broke his feet from the place they had been cemented in earlier. He ran. He ran as fast as he knew how. His route took him straight to Kunimi's place. The sun had long set and the moon was high in the sky, gleamingly spitefully. It was possible that the place he once considered a safe house was no longer to be his refuge. Sweat trickled down his brow. He was already beginning to feel the effects of dehydration.

 

Would everything end before it had even started?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some ship knowledge for you:
> 
> Bow = The bow is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow. The bow is designed to reduce the resistance of the hull cutting through water and should be tall enough to prevent water from easily washing over the top of it.
> 
> Bleakhead = A beakhead is the protruding part of the foremost section of a sailing ship. The beakhead would be one of the most ornate sections of a ship. The sides were often decorated with carved statues and located directly underneath was the figurehead, usually in the form of animals, shields or mythological creatures.
> 
> In this chapter, Oikawa sings the songs "Wasted Youth" by FLETCHER and "High" by SIVIK. I will have to comment that by this time Oikawa is probably 40% drunk :3 but I always imagined him being able to hold his liquor pretty well if he would to drink so...I think seeing him fully drunk would be interesting (foreshadowing maybe..? *evil laugh*).
> 
> As far as how old they are in this AU...well I haven't really established that yet, so you are free to make your own assumptions until I say otherwise. ;)
> 
> Also, Iwa-chan is finally here! Hell yes! I have been waiting to write this chapter since day one.
> 
> (Side note: Shimizu is under appreciated tbh. She is a freaking badass.)
> 
> Someone recently asked me where this idea even came from. WELL I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW that when I was a child I was Ariel's biggest fan, super into barbie movies, and I always talked about mermaids. In my Latin class at school, we are required to learn about Greek/Roman mythology so that's where 70% of the fantasy components come from. One day while I was babysitting I basically had an epiphany, and that's pretty much it.
> 
> HOWEVER, I will say that what prompted me to even start thinking about it was this comment/tumblr post/I don't even know what it was anymore had said:
> 
> "There is really no angst in Kagehina and you can't even find a doujinshi/AU where they don't ask one of the third years for advice. Every story is the same and cliche"
> 
> That was the gist of it.
> 
> WELL WELL, BITCH.
> 
> I'LL SHOW YOU.
> 
> CHALLENGE FUCKING ACCEPTED.
> 
> And so, this story popped out.
> 
> I hope you all are having an amazing day and enjoyed reading this chapter!!! I try to make it interesting for you guys, I really do.
> 
> ~ obryzii


	10. Time to Spare

# Time to Spare

* * *

 

 

Trouble.

From the moment the siren had washed up on the shore, he'd been trouble. And yet, here he was, running to and from his home trying to keep him alive. Something like this had never happened to Hinata before. Having a Siren Prince wash up on the shore then collapse half-dead in front of you–twice now, he might add–is not meant to be a daily or even a _weekly_  appearance!

Well, a small part of him did consent to just leaving the siren as he lay. However, he resolved that if he was going to have that kind of guilt on his conscience, it would be better just to outright stab him instead. He felt that both actions were on the same level of spite and vengefulness. Besides, some deep, dark part of him knew, _knew_ that wave was coming towards him, but Kageyama had redirected it before it could even touch him. He looked like he was disgusted with himself. Hinata believed that those strong feelings of self-loathing were the cause of the water turning on the one who had called them. In short, he pitied him. Though if he were to ever admit that to Kageyama, he'd be strangled for real.

All agitation aside, it became increasingly more difficult for him to hide it. Hinata was afraid. He was scared to death. His hands trembled uncontrollably and sweat trickled down his neck. It was glaringly obvious that he had no idea what to do. Heck, Hinata didn't even have the slightest clue as to what was wrong with him. The only thing he could do with confidence was lean over him and make sure he was still breathing and his heart was still beating. He gripped his own head tightly. The whole thing was a disaster.

"Natsu, what do I do?" he fretted. The cat simply looked back at him with an expressionless face. Clearly, she was fed up with being treated as Hinata's personal therapist and life counselor. This was bad. No, this was _really_ bad. If he had known that Kageyama's injuries were this severe when they had first met, he might not have sent him away. It was obvious that he has not moved from this spot since he managed to crawl here. With every minute that passed, his condition only seemed to get worse.

He could die, that's the reality here. He could _die_. What's worse was that Hinata had no one to turn to. He was halfway between crying and cursing aloud. The little orange-haired boy racked his brain for any possible solutions, but he kept coming up with nothing but blank space. Beside him, Kageyama wheezed like he was struggling to breathe.

"Ah! That's it!" he exclaimed. There was one person who would be capable of helping them. Whether they would do it or not, Hinata was unsure. They probably wouldn't even be able to handle Kageyama's sheer existence, let alone comprehending helping him. He bit his lower lip, perpetually frustrated. Kageyama couldn't wait anymore. Hinata stood reluctantly and had begun to carefully make his way out of the cove. He had to wade his way through the shallow water back to the shore. Once he hit dry land, he was home free. Hinata sprinted his way across the terrain; he had become a mere orange blur. He was solely focused on accomplishing a single goal. His legs kept flailing and he kept running until he reached the heart of the village.

Hinata hardly ever went into town. When he did, his interaction with others had been kept to the absolute minimum. There was only a single person within the town which he had met with consistently. She purchased his catches and did her best to support him which he greatly appreciated, even if he had long realized that it was out of pity. He knew that everyone in the village looked at him like a wounded animal; something too wild to approach, but too pitiful to ignore. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than hearing their voices falter and unsettled rustling. There was no doubt that she viewed him the same way. After all, considering her profession, that part of him would be pretty hard to ignore. Regardless of it, Yachi Hitoka never failed to initiate polite and sincere conversation with him. She's helped him many times, though he's never asked for a favor like this before.

Yachi was both the best and worst person he could possibly ask. On one hand, she was the village's most trusted apothecary. On the other hand...she's _Yachi_. The moment she lays her eyes on Kageyama, she'll freak. Between his critical condition and the fact that he was a _siren_ , she might self-implode.

He'd have to tell her a lie. At best, Hinata was a horrible liar. The only thing that played into his favor was that Yachi was just about as gullible as Hinata was a bad liar. As long as he didn't come across anyone else, he should be safe. Thick beads of sweat flicked from his neck as he ran. His whole chest was tight, not from being out of breath, but from panic. He hasn't been able to erase the franticness from his movements.

When he charged into the town, he was merely an orange blur. His raggedy clothes were plastered against his skin from the wind. The tears in the fabric shot cold air like knives against his warm skin. The fluff atop his head bounced and swirled. Hinata stormed into Yachi's home, panting and out of breath. Yachi had been sorting leaves of like kinds into piles. So surprised by his entrance, she jumped, scattering the neatly arranged piles on her desk. She stumbled over her words for a moment, then finally found her voice.

"H-Hinata? What are you doing here?" she asked. "Don't scare me like that!" she chuckled at herself with embarrassment. The serious expression on his face did not change, however. "What's wrong?" This time, her voice conveyed a lot more worry and anxiety.

"Uhh.." Hinata stuttered. "Well, it's...it's...it's Natsu." As the lie began, he couldn't bear to face her direction. He couldn't help but squirm. It was as if something was crawling underneath his skin. "She hasn't been eating lately and her breathing is no good, and I can't wake her up."

"Natsu...?" There was a slight tremble in her voice. "Did she eat something bad? Does she have any injuries?"

"I guess..." Hinata began. His mind immediately went to Kageyama's broken body and the blood that was stained on his hands. "She has an injury...sort of." Yachi's eyes immediately flashed to his hands and shirt.

"I assumed that blood was from hunting, but could it be Natsu's?" she asked. Unable to speak, Hinata only nodded his head in affirmation. Every one of his moves was tentative.

"She won't...die, right?"

 Yachi firmly placed a fist against her heart, "I, Yachi Hitoka, as the protector of felines everywhere refuse to allow her to die under my watch." Her declaration was firm and assuring. "It sounds like it could be a combination of exhaustion and infection from the wound, I don't she'll die. She's pretty resilient."

Hinata stiffened at the last remark.

"You know, if you moved into the village everything would be a whole lot safer. Plus, Natsu would be able to visit me every day! It's hard not being able to have a cat of my own. I can't have them screwing up my medicine and organization system. That would just be a disaster!" Yachi continued to ramble on about her life without cats.

"I'll think about it," he mumbled, though he knew he never would. The apothecary finished putting all the necessary elements into her bag and slung it securely over her shoulder.

"Alright, let's go." Hinata nodded and exited her home immediately.

 

Hinata discovers very quickly that Yachi was extremely slow. He couldn't run as fast as he needed to since he had to keep pace with her. If he ran too far ahead, it's likely she'd get lost. She's only been to his home one time and he seriously doubted that she would be able to find it on her own. Furthermore, the moment he left her side the resolve and courage she had built up would crumble. Therefore, he was made to painfully endure his anxiety.

When they finally arrived, Hinata had directed her away from his shack and promptly steered her towards the cove.

"She's in here," he said while panting. Now at the cove's entrance, the two slow to a speed walk. The echoes of their footsteps collide with the dripping walls. Water droplets speckled their shoulders. As they were hopping from stone to stone, Yachi spotted sitting comfortably on a ledge.

"Natsu!" she called. The cat leaped from the ledge, approaching her without any difficulty. Yachi examined the cat thoroughly, pushing back the hair. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Hinata, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with..."

She gasped loudly. When she looked up from Natsu to Hinata, she saw him kneeled beside a bloody mess. Attached to that bloody mess was a deep cobalt tail, extending long past the length of either of their bodies. Between that, the blood, the webbed fingers, and the markings across his skin–not to mention the _gills–_ she was stunned, paralyzed by the shock. All color drained from her skin. Her body was able to do nothing except stand petrified and tremble with fear.

"W-what...What..." she stammered.

"Yachi-san...please. You have to help him," Hinata pleaded. Kageyama's breathing was even worse than when they left. There was not enough water around for him to utilize his gills and his lungs were failing. It was way too late to try to move him to deeper depths. His body wouldn't be able to handle being moved anywhere.

"I-I-I...I don't thi–"

"Yachi-san," he implored. " _Please_."

"Do...do you realize what you are asking me t-to d-d-do?" Her voice shook about as much as her body.

"He's going to die!" Hinata wailed.

"Then let him die!" she yelled. Yachi flinched, realizing what she had just said. Hinata reeled backward as if he had been slapped. His face assumed an expression filled with horror. She fidgeted, searching for a way to resolve the situation. "The sirens cause a lot of problems for everyone...Should we save something that is dead set on killing us?" She continued to ramble, though no matter what she said, Hinata's expression did not change. "I just don't feel that this would be the right thing to do..."

"The _right_ thing to do? You're wondering what the _right_ thing to do is?" Hinata growled. Yachi swallowed a yelp. He gritted his teeth, but all the tension in his body released when he looked down at Kageyama's face. Everything in his body turned to slack. Without delay, he pressed his ear to the siren's chest, then let it hover over his nose. When he pulled away, he stared at the body in shock.

He's not breathing. He's not _breathing_. The heartbeat was either too faint to hear or non-existent. Panic seized his entire body.

"Yachi-san! He's not breathing!" he shouted.

"Huh?" she exclaimed, her voice shaking.

"What do I do?!" he yelled fiercely.

"Ah...Uh...CP-CPR. You have to r-resuscitate him."

"How do I do that?!" Hinata demanded. His long bangs were pulled away from his face by sweat, revealing eyes that were startling in many respects.

"S-start chest compressions. Interlock your hands, one over the other, and keep your elbows straight."

"Like this?" he asked. She nodded in approval.

"Get closer to his shoulder, and place your hand in the middle of his chest. Keep your shoulders directly over the heel of your hands." As Yachi spoke, she crept closer and closer to where the bloodied siren was lying lifeless on the cavern floor. "Good, good, that looks good," she praised. "Now press firmly into his chest around 5 centimeters and release. That's one compression." Her instincts as a doctor had begun to take over. She found herself, albeit very reluctantly, kneeling next to the opposite side of the siren, across from Hinata. "You're going to do thirty compressions, and I'll count for you." Hinata had begun his work, moving to the rhythm that Yachi was setting for him. All the while, she critiqued the position of his body and the movement of his arms.

"Now listen fully," she started. "Put your palm on his forehead and carefully tilt his head backward. Good. Now gently lift his chin forward to open his airway and check for normal breathing."

The panicked Hinata shook his head immediately in response. Yachi studied the body and she found her answer to coincide with his. She let out a preemptive sigh.

"Alright Hinata, this is what you are going to do. You're going to pinch the nostrils closed, and cover your mouth with his, covering it completely. You will breathe in, only for the duration of a second. If he shows no signs of breathing, breathe into him another time." The young apothecary was firm and swift in her instructions. "If he's still not breathing, start the whole process over again." Hinata was intently gazing at her, absorbing every single one of her words. 

"Do you understand?" she asked. He nodded curtly in response. Yachi kept one eye on Hinata as he began his routine. The other was focused on retrieving the necessary remedies from her bag. She didn't have much to work with.

Meanwhile, Hinata had performed the rescue breaths almost perfectly, without any hesitation. His touch was gentle, almost apologetic. Yachi was surprised by his conviction. He hardly made any mistakes, as if he couldn't afford to. Although, that thought wasn't too far off. She blushed at the presentation, thinking it really looked similar to a kiss. The apothecary quickly returned to her previous task. Sitting here and watching was not going to help Hinata's...friend, she supposed. She felt like hitting herself for thinking of the siren as an ally.

Many of the wounds he had were old, and many of them were infected. She treated the infected wounds first, doing her best to sterilize them. Eliminating as much of the harmful bacteria as possible was objective number one, followed by the treatment of his minor and more recent moves. By the time she was finished, Hinata had already completed the process many times over. His movements slowly cease to be calm and panic flows through them. She looks over and ushers him out of the way.

"Step aside for a bit," she ordered. She placed her ear to the siren's mouth, then to wear his lungs would be. They sounded almost stuck and realization dawned upon her. From her bag, she hastily pulled out a long, thin needle that was hollowed out on the inside. Thankfully, it had been left there when she was treating another patient earlier this morning. 

"What are you doing with that?" Hinata exclaimed, his voice breathy and shaky. Yachi had ignored him and continued with her task. Her fingertips firmly felt his chest, until she found the spot. The moment she did, she instantly stabbed the needle into the very lowest part of his right lung. Beside her, Hinata caught his gasp in his throat. She closed her mouth over the end of the needle, using it as a valve. Having engulfed the very little air that resided, she prepared a solution that would cover the puncture wound. Once she found something that was a good temporary fix, she pulled out the needle and applied the treatment right at that moment.

Hinata looked over at her in question, and she nodded. He brought his head down slowly, the curls of his hair swooped gently across his skin. His hands gently searched the siren's face, till they found the placement of his lips. They were slightly red, perhaps even a little raw. He pressed his lips to Kageyama's and breathed into him. It was one last silent plea.

Their lips parted, and Hinata hovered over Kageyama's face near out of breath from having to do so many chest compressions. Around him, he saw a blurred orange wall. It encircled his head like a curtain, a veil made by his own hair. Moments later, the siren gasped shallowly. His breathing, although weak, returned. His rhythm slowly ceased to be irregular and was on its way to being restored. Hinata sat back on the heels of his feet, with his face toward the ceiling. With his arm slung over his eyes, he let out a huge sigh of relief. He couldn't say a word to describe the feeling, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I think it should be okay for a little while," Yachi said.

"What was wrong with him?" he asked.

"Most of his older wounds were infected, he's clearly exhausted and malnourished, and even though it was so incredibly slight, a small part of his lung had collapsed. It appears he might have broken a rib or two. My guess is that when he tried to move around, the bones shifted and nicked his lung. Those wounds could have healed themselves eventually, had his body been well taken care of. The infected wounds would have only gotten worse, though. No telling what the outcome of that could have been," she replied.

Hinata was slammed with unwanted guilt. He had every right to kick him out after what Kageyama did, but he couldn't escape it. The shame and regret together formed a shackle around his throat. There was so much inside him that he was unable to understand, so much that he was feeling for the first time.

"Yachi-san...thank you for all you've done," he said.

"If I hadn't sworn an oath when I became an apothecary, I would have never helped him." Her reply was frank. Yachi's breath hitched suddenly, making Hinata flinch. "What am I going to do when I get back? There's blood all over my clothes! What am I going to tell them?!" she wailed. Hinata held out his hands toward her as if he was calming a wild animal.

"It's okay, we'll think of som–"

"This is not okay!" she shrieked. "This whole situation is not okay, Hinata!" Her body began to tremble. "You might be okay since you live out here by yourself, but there is no way I can get out of this. I have to go back there, you know!" Hinata's nose twitched at her words, though he tried not to take them offensively.

"Yachi–"

"What am I going to do, Hinata?!" Her wide eyes darted frantically across his face.

"Yachi-sensei!" a voice called. Their heads jerked towards the entrance of the cove. A dark vine coiled around Hinata's heart, constricting it.

Neither of them dared to even breathe.

"Yachi-sensei! Are you around?! This is important!" The voice became more and more hurried. They sounded frantic.

"I-I'll be right there!" Yachi called. Hinata glanced at her in horror. Her expression was a mixture of both apologetic and fearful. He watched as she ran to meet the foreign voice at the entrance. The figure cast a huge shadow across the rocks. Even from where Hinata sat, he could make out the impressions of injuries. Attached to his back was a huge looming curtain, dark and powerful. Without a doubt, he could guess they were wings.

It was a faery. Evey hair on his body stood erect. He glanced back to Kageyama, whose condition was still very poor. A faery and a siren in the same vicinity sounded like a disaster.

"I'm from the Karasuno boat. We've just returned," the faery panted. He must have used every inch of his energy in order to find their location as quickly as possible. No one had bothered to find out where he lived, anyways. "The crew needs help, especially Daichi."

"What happened to Daichi...?" Yachi asked. Her voice was darkened with worry and fear.

"He–"

"What is that?" An unfamiliar cold voice interrupted them. Hinata studied the group once more, only to find that a second figure had emerged.

It was another faery. The situation could have been any worse.

"Ahhh well..." Yachi rubbed the back of her head. "That's–"

" _What_ is that?" The faery's voice had a ferocious tone. He charged past Yachi and the other faery and stormed his way over to where Hinata was kneeling next to Kageyama. 

"Tsukishima, wait!" Yachi yelled, though it was in vain.

"Tch," he spat. "So the bastard did survive, though just barely it seems."

"What do you want?" Hinata barked. The faery's gaze turned downcast, projecting hatred onto the pair.

"How disgusting," Tsukishima growled. His mouth may have been smiling, but his eyes weren't. "Two beasts together is worse than one."

"What did you say?" Hinata growled. Tsukishima leaned his upper body down low so that he could be eye-level with Hinata.

"Sorry, your level of existence is so low that I had to bend down to your level." The tall faery looks Hinata up and down. "It appears that's true in more ways than one."

"Why you..." Hinata snarls. He rose to his feet, clenching his fists. "What's your problem, acting like that?" Without warning, Tsukishima swung his fist hard, colliding with Hinata's jaw. His cheek got caught on his teeth, and he started to taste blood in his mouth. He wiped the blood onto his forearm. 

"Tsukishima!" Yachi wailed.

Suddenly, Hinata was whisked forward. Tsukishima's fist was grasping tightly onto his shirt. He lifted Hinata's small body of the ground so that his feet barely touched. The faery's hateful grin was so malicious that Hinata shivered.

"The fact that you even exist offends me. It's repulsive. You helped that guy?" Tsukishima's voice was beginning to lose its calm. It was obvious that he referred to Kageyama, who was still conscious. Hinata's eyes flickered to the siren, brows furrowing.

"I hate things like you the most," Tsukishima said softly. "How dare you look away when I'm talking to you." Hinata was caught completely off guard when Tsukkishima's other fist collided into his gut. Saliva came up from the back of his throat. He curled up at the pain, but Tsukishima's grip tightened. His hands came up, trying to claw off the faery's grip. Hinata's teeth shone fiercely.

"Don't judge people by their cover," Hinata choked.

"You're right, I have misjudged you. You're not even on the level of the abomination over there. In fact, you're way below a siren. They were born to be our enemies, but you..." Tsukishima growled. "You were born an ally, but turned traitor."

"At least I'm not the one attacking someone else," he gurgled.

"Oh, it's _far_ from underserved," Tsukishima yelled. The faery threw Hinata into the cavern's wall. He grasped his shoulder as he slid down. Above him, Tsukishima still seethed with anger. He held Hinata's skull to the floor. "Do you know how many people their kind have killed? How many humans? How many faeries? Hell, how many of their _own_? Who in their right mind would reach an arm out to an agent of the devil?" Hinata squirmed vigorously underneath the faery's thin arms.

"Pht. You don't even look the least bit apologetic. I hope when that thing wakes up that you die by its hand," he paused for a moment, thinking of his next line. "This is why you were left behind. You see all this loneliness around you? _You_ did this to _yourself_."

Hinata's entire body went limp. He dug his fingers into the gravel. It had been a long while since he thought about the state of his isolation. Tsukishima's words had just reminded him. It reminded him of all the questions he had no answers for.

Left behind. He had never seen it that way before. He never imagined that his loneliness wasn't an accident, that it wasn't by chance or bad luck. Was it really his fault? Was he really unwanted in this world? The revelation was like his entire existence just became invalidated. He wasn't sure if he had the right to fight back against the force that held him down.

"Oi," a voice rasped. One of Tsukishima's eyes trailed to where Kageyama was lying. "What...the hell...do you think you are doing?" he said between breaths. The faery's lip curled back in disgust.

"Tch, it's a dead fish," he spat. Tsukishima locked eyes with Kageyama who, even through his delirium, had conjured up a hellish gaze to meet them.

"The only one...who can lay a finger...on that dumbass...is _me_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> I just wanted to say that I tried to make this as medically accurate as possible but since this world has fairly limited technology, it was pretty hard. Sigh.
> 
> I sort of feel like this chapter isn't as good as the previous one, but whatever that's just me. XD
> 
> I think I'm going to try to update this in a somewhat weekly fashion. Hopefully every Sunday, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to stick to it exactly.
> 
> I also wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who is reading this story. You have no idea how much it means to me that people are actually taking interest in it. I just want to be able to share my crazy fantasies of the characters the whole fandom loves. If I manage to tug at some heartstrings along the way then I'll feel like I've accomplished my goal. :)
> 
> ~obryzii


	11. The Echoes Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama wakes from his dream, only to find Hinata at the mercy of a faery. The two are given an ultimatum; leave and live or stay and die. How do they respond?

# The Echoes Return

* * *

 

It was not the first time that Kageyama has both seen and felt darkness. In fact, it wasn't even the first time this week. Most likely, it was the third or fourth time this month. However this time...this time was the most similar to the first. There was something different about it, something uniquely ethereal. It was the echo of a melody he had heard waiting in the darkness that first time.

Does darkness...does _silence_ have its own sound, its own rhythm? He had never thought about it in that way. Is there something in the darkness that is unable to be seen? Is there something in the silence that is unable to be heard? Perhaps the question he should be asking himself is not what he is seeing and hearing, but what isn't he?

The state he was in now was like a dream. In the moment, one is fully invested in the events that occur, but seconds later, they will be looking at that moment as if it was already many years into the past. An eternity can be spent in only a few milliseconds. Now, instead of looking into vacant darkness, Kageyama found that he was gazing into a reflection of himself. Though as he moved, the figure did not. As his brow furrowed and the shape of his mouth frowned, the shadow of himself smiled. Kageyama's eyes widened, realizing that it was a completely separate entity.

 _What the hell?_ his mind screamed. The shadow only smiled wider. He stumbled backward in surprise. Wait a minute...he _stumbled_? He looked down at his lower half in horror. There lie two limbs instead of one, legs instead of a tail. Kageyama looked back at the figure to see that it had a tail; it had _his_ tail. Although he supposed that the shadow was him in some respects?

He tried moving his legs, but they didn't collide with the hard ground that was there moments before. All of his movements moved fluidly like he was underwater. The darkness around them no longer appeared as darkness, but the dark depths of the sea.

"What's going on? What is this place?" he demanded. The shadow glances around thoughtfully, then the scarce fragments of light that surrounded him were flushed out immediately. Kageyama stiffened.

An incredible invisible force pummelled into him, making his chest tighten. He could feel the breath of the shadow against his nape like he was being driven into a corner.

What surrounded him was no longer darkness, but images.  His entire life was flashing right before his eye. Their soft emission of light illuminated the atmosphere. He could scantily make out the foggy shape of the shadow's whispy figure.

Just like the mist that remains after a storm, the mirrored image of himself was blown away by the current. The water surrounding them had returned. However, the spirit was not completely eradicated. He tried to flail his legs, attempting to tread water, only to find that they were no longer separate, but connected; his tail had returned. With the return of his tail came the arrival of another spirit, a mirror image of himself that had a fierce and determined look in his eye. It was almost if Kageyama was being looked at with contempt. Not only that, but this one was in possession of the legs that were his only moments ago. It started being positioned far away but it gradually closed the gap in distance.

The inaudible melody that was playing on repeat finally became apparent.

 _I forgot,_  
Everything,  
_From the first thought,_  
 _To the last dreams._  
 _When it's so wrong,_  
 _And you can't breathe._  
 _It's the thoughts inside that will change you._  


The sea seemed to drive into him. He couldn't breathe. Liquid, something like water, was filling his lungs. He was in the water, yet he was unable to breathe. The gills at his sides flared vigorously while he clawed at his own throat. The spirit was only a touch away. Its presence loomed over him, creating a suffocating aura.

 _Just say no,_  
 _Never let it go._  
 _You can't run from yourself, that's all that you know._  
 _And time's ticking away, the light will slowly fade,_  
 _And we will fall to the changes._  
  
_So just say yes,_  
 _A leap of faith, I guess,_  
 _We are the ones who were chased until the final breath._  
 _And life's ticking away, the light will slowly fade,_  
 _And we will fall to the changes._

The darkness exploded into light and he was violently blinded. He took in shallow breaths. There was a sharp pain constricting his lung. His throat felt dry and ravaged like he'd been screaming. He pressed his lips together but even they felt slightly tender. A foreign voice suddenly interjected into his half-conscious state.

"This is why you were left behind. You see all this loneliness around you? _You_ did this to _yourself_."

 _What they hell were they saying? Who's voice even is that?_ Kageyama wondered. His eyelids slowly fluttered open. Instead of his dreamscape, he saw the familiar jagged overhang of the cave he had been holed up in.

He must be awake.

His head turned slowly, only to see Hinata's limp body being pressed to the floor by a faery's lithe arm. He recognized him immediately. This volatile energy was the same as the one he felt the day of the shipwreck. It was the faery that looked at him with murderous eyes. His gaze survey's the orange human's small body. There were injuries covering his arms and fresh rips had been made in his clothes. Kageyama felt warnings of danger wash over him. His muscles tightened. It felt as if someone was ripping off his right arm...as if they were hurting him personally. 

Kageyama clenched his teeth.

"Oi," he growled, though it came out hoarse. One of the faery's eyes trailed to where Kageyama was lying. "What...the hell...do you think you are doing?" he said between forced breaths. The faery's lip curled back in disgust.

"Tch, it's a dead fish," he spat. The faery locked eyes with Kageyama who, even through his delirium, had conjured up a hellish gaze to meet them. He wasn't sure what had possessed him in that moment, but he sure as hell wasn't going to welcome his company.

"The only one...who can lay a finger...on that dumbass...is _me,_ " he snarled. The faery stared at him blankly, then a curious expression came across his face. He looked as if he was about to burst out laughing.

"You..." the faery said in a low voice. "Do you know what your original sin is?" Though his chest ached, he managed to rouse himself from the floor. He clasped his stomach with one arm, leaning on the other. He held the faery's gaze defiantly. "Your original sin is the fact that you are a siren. You'll always be guilty of that," he spat.

"Which one of us..is the monster?" Kageyama asked. The faery clicked his tongue.

"That's funny. This shrimp said pretty much the same thing." The faery released his grip on Hinata's head, kicking him in Kageyama's direction.

"Tsukishima, now really isn't the time for this." Kageyama glanced over to the owner of the deep voice. It was another faery, this one with a close-shaved head. He restrained his face from distorting. The faery, Tsukishima, didn't even acknowledge him.

"You corrupt everything. We've been trying to achieve peace for years...but you...you just don't know when to stop, do you?!" Tsukishima was trembling, studying his open palm. "It's your fault...it's your fault my life is like this!" he yelled. He was about to charge at Kageyama when Hinata grabs his leg. "And you too. It's because of people like you that others have died. It's because of you that Daichi..." He forcefully threw Hinata off his leg. The white bandages that covered his legs and feet were beginning to unravel. They were becoming ripped and tattered from the rocks.

"That's not his fault," Kageyama mumbled.

"What did you say?" Tsukishima snapped.

"None of that is his fault!" he shouted. Hinata stared at him with wide eyes, an unsettled expression on his face. Tsukishima raised his foot against Kageyama, but to his own surprise, he caught the limb in midswing. He gripped the faery's ankle tightly.

"He doesn't deserve to be treated that way," he said, his voice still hoarse. "He is guilty of nothing."

"To you, I'm sure he seems like a real good Samaritan," Tsukishima spat. He tried pulling his leg away, but Kageyama would not release his hold. His gaze turned downcast.

"Not all of us are...how you think. I...I no longer want to be a siren...I–"

"It's not that simple–"

"Let. Me. Finish," Kageyama commanded. He could feel Tsukishima tense in his grip. "I too...I also want to live in peace...I also want to cooperate with the humans...to become a proper member of society. I would have wanted to include the faeries, too." Before Tsukishima could even offer a form of a snarky retort, the other faery stormed over and snatched him by the hair.

"Tsukishima, get a fucking _grip_ ," the faery snarled.

"Ahh, Tanaka-san–" the small female human beside him shook nervously.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind? We do _not_ have time for an anger management session right now. Remember why we came here. If Daichi dies because we weren't fast enough, this is going to be _your_ fault, and no amount of pleading is going to save you from his crew." Tsukishima ceases to struggle in Tanaka's grasp, and the older faery released him. While it was clear Tsukishima was much taller, Tanaka was evidently much stronger.

Furthermore, it seemed that their relationship with the Pirates is rather delicate.

Tsukishima turned away from the two silently, and Tanaka ushered the little human outside along with them.

"Wait!" Hinata let out a shrill cry. Kageyama stared at him in confusion. The two faeries were finally going to leave, what the hell was Hinata thinking? "I have to ask..."

"Spit it out, kid."

"Please...please don't tell anyone that the siren is here. I promise I'll never ask you or even Yachi-san for anything else in my entire life, but _please_. I _beg_ you, don't say anything to anyone." Hinata's voice sounded desperate.

"You idiot! You could finally be rid of me, just let them come," Kageyama protested.

"Shut up, Bakageyama!" Hinata snapped. Tsukishima whips his head around and glares at them fiercely. 

"Two weeks. You have two weeks," he said in a low voice.

"That's not enough time!" Hinata exclaimed.

"A lot can happen in two weeks," Tanaka replied.

"You have two weeks to resolve the issue and do...whatever it is you _think_ you're able to do. After two weeks, we'll tell the rest of the townspeople. When that time comes, I can hardly imagine that they'll let either of you continue on living 'peacefully.'" Hinata responds to his words with a look of horror. Tsukishima storms on ahead of his other two companions.

"Tsukishima may have acted unreasonable, but that doesn't change the fact that some things he said were the truth. I'm sure you're a good kid, Hinata," Tanaka said. "However, that doesn't change the fact that having the siren here _does_ put everyone else in danger." Tanaka swiftly strides out of the cave and snatches a surprised Yachi into his arms, lifting them both into the sky. She shouted her protests, but they faded away just as fast as they were gone.

"You dumbass! You should have just–"

"Kageyama!" Hinata was near hysterics. "How are we going to turn you into a proper member of society? In two weeks? This is impossible! You can't just change anatomy!"

"What?!"

"What you mean, _'What?!'_?" Hinata's brow furrowed. "You said it yourself earlier!"

"Well, yeah, I said that but..."

"Ka-ge-ya-ma! You were at the doors of death not even thirty minutes ago. You _just_ got revived. No matter what happens next, in two weeks, either one or both of us are going to die!" Blood from some of Hinata's injuries trickled in small amounts down his face. Kageyama found Hinata's tortured state to be immensely distracting. "If you said that, then you must know of a way, right?" he demanded. "Right?!"

Kageyama clenched his fist, "There is a way. There is a way, but–"

"We're doing it," Hinata declared firmly.

"What?! Do you even know what you're saying?" Kageyama shouted.

"No, but we're doing it."

"You have no idea what you're even committing to!"

"But there's a way, right?"

"There may be but we can never accomplish that in two weeks! There's no way we can accomplish in two weeks what I've been trying to do my whole life!" Now Kageyama seemed like he was the hysterical one.

"But you're not alone anymore. I'm going to help you!" Hinata screamed. Heat rose in Kageyama's chest, accompanied by an unfamiliar emotion.

"I doubt I'll be able to get any further than where I am now. It'll take _years_ , not _weeks_."

"We won't know that until we try it," Hinata replied swiftly. He stared at Kageyama with determined, unyielding eyes. With his strength being what it was, he was unable to refuse. At least, that was the excuse he made for himself.

"You know about the Siren's Song right?" Kageyama asked.

"Well...a little, but only about as much as you've told me. All I know is mostly just rumor," Hinata fidgeted where he sat.

"To sum it up, that's not our only ability."

"What...are you saying?" The human raised a brow, a little bewildered.

"I'm saying that sirens...we can shapeshift, though to shift completely is considerable rare and takes practice." Kageyama felt the urge to squirm. What was he doing? He had just revealed the siren's most closely guarded secret. He wasn't even sure that _he_ was supposed to know about it. It was only by absolute chance that he managed to find out. And yet, here he was readily giving away their biggest stealth weapon to a _human_. The siren could almost feel Oikawa's wrath from where he sat. Hinata jumped up from the floor.

"Well? What are we waiting for? We don't have any time to waste!"

"Tsk," Kageyama's brow twitched. "The one thing I know about it is that the ability to shift is connected to the Siren's Song somehow. Since I can't even manage that, I doubt this sort of thing will be possible."

"I am not going to give up, Kageyama," Hinata deadpanned. "Are you?" The siren gritted his teeth.

"Like _hell_ I'd lose to a dumbass like you!" Kageyama growled. There was no way he'd be the one giving up. Though he scowled still, unable to deny the fact that it was impossible.

Hinata smiled back at him as if to declare ' _If we do it together, we'll accomplish it for sure._ '

"Pfft," Kageyama couldn't help but feel challenged by his tenacity. He'll have to rise to the occasion. A slight smirk began to tug at his lips. He couldn't stop himself from feeling somewhat hopeful about what was to come.

 

 

After Tsukishima stormed off, Tanaka wanted to hurry after him as soon as possible. Whenever it came to sirens, Tsukishima often wandered off the rails. Tanaka had been tasked with diffusing such situations in case they got out of hand. Though what was vastly more important that Tsukishima's feelings right now was their original objective: Daichi. They had to get Yachi to where Daichi was. Without any hesitation, he scooped the small girl up into his arms. He was determined at the time, but now he felt unbelievably nervous. The severity of the situation was the only thing that kept him going.

"Uhh...ah...um, Tanaka-san? Is this really necessary?" Yachi's voice shook considerably.

"I-I'm sorry Yachi-san, but there's really no time to waste," he stuttered. It seemed to calm her down knowing that he felt uncomfortable as well.

"What happened to him?" she asked tentatively. A concerned expression fell across Tanaka's face.

"He was injured in the shipwreck. We wanted to get him back sooner, but we...we couldn't...we couldn't _fly_." Tanaka's jaw clenched. "By the time the ship came, his situation wasn't looking good at all."

"C-can I ask you something else, Tanaka-san?" Yachi requested.

"Yeah," he responded, looking a little unsettled.

"I get that sirens are dangerous, but why did Tsukishima react like that? I've never seen him speak like that, not even to Yamaguchi."

"You mean with some emotion?" Tanaka's eyebrows pressed together. "That guy...sirens are the only things that make him show any signs of life. I don't think any of it is really my story to tell, but I think that his current situation has put him under a lot of pressure."

"Current situation? I don't see how the situation is any different from several years ago."

"Maybe to the humans and the pirates, sure. But to the faeries, a lot has changed. To us, Tsukishima is...well, he's our prince."

"He's a _prince_?!" Yachi exclaimed.

"Shhh," Tanaka hushed. "Be quiet otherwise he'll hear us."

"No wonder he's always so aloof."

"But more than that, Daichi is a very important person to us faeries. To be exact, he's had a long-standing friendship with our sovereign. His name is the one that is signed on the alliance treaty." Yachi's eyes widened at Tanaka's words. "If he dies, this wavering peace that we are all so desperately hanging on to might disappear completely. I don't think I can imagine us leaving the town unscathed, should that happen." Tanaka looked down at Yachi's face, only to find her completely distraught.

"T-Tanaka-saaaan," she cried. "You are putting the life of someone that important in my hands?!" Yachi looked as if she was going to be sick.

"Ah! Yachi-san, are you okay?!" Tanaka was at a loss for what to do. Her expression kept getting darker.

"If he dies, everyone else might die too, right?!"

"Ahh, I don't think I said it like that..."

"Tanaka-san! Fly faster!" she demanded.

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded by the irony.

"Don't you understand?" she yelped. "My sanity is hanging by a thread here! We have to hurry up and get this over with before I pass out." Tanaka had to refrain from laughing as she whispered instructions to herself on how to take deep breaths. While he knew she was reliable, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Although he'd never let the others know, he couldn't escape the anxiety that seemed to inch closer and closer to him. Not to mention, the guilt. Was it really alright to leave the siren in that cove, or would he come back to find Hinata's drowned body wash up on the shore?

It was impossible to be sure.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm sorry this chapter is so late. The reasons?
> 
> 1\. School
> 
> 2\. Final Exams
> 
> 3\. Lack of motivation (my soul is being depleted by the first two)
> 
> 4\. Me being a perfectionist -.-
> 
> I just want to start off by apologizing for the fact that this chapter was lower in quality than the others. I couldn't help but feel that this chapter was weak somehow and that it was lacking in some parts (I'm convinced it still is). I rewrote this 4 times (nope, I am not lying). I rewrote Kageyama's dream experience twice, the exit of Tsukishima once, and the conversation between Yachi and Tanaka once as well. The one thing that I can say is that monitoring Kageyama's condition and progress and Hinata's behaviors as well will become very important for the future. I can't help but feel dissatisfied with how that interaction ended but God knows I really need to be able to move on. This goes for Tanaka and Yachi's conversation as well which really was a last minute addition since I'm planning on cutting a chapter. The chapter would have explained Tsuki's situation, but I couldn't see myself spending an entire chapter on it since it would obstruct the flow of the story, so I tried to touch on it a little bit at the end of this chapter.
> 
> Things will probably be getting more complicated from now on–especially with the multiple storylines that are running at once–so I'm trying to maintain consistency without repeating myself as well as staying close to my original plan and thoughts. It's hard because I know every little detail about this story, but I keep forgetting that my readers don't >.< (though if you did I'd be out of a hobby ;D). If you guys have any questions/concerns/etc feel free to comment! I honestly love getting comments. They make my entire week.
> 
> Alright, time to end my rambling.
> 
> In this chapter, Kageyama does sing a song :3 (I'm a music junkie, hehe). He sings the song Changes by The Eden Project (EDEN) ft. Laura Brehm. The vocals start at around 2:29. 
> 
> If you're looking for any of the songs that are used in this work, I have a playlist on my YouTube channel that has them all on there in chronological order as they've been used in the story. Keeping an eye on that playlist is also a good way to get some spoilers for the upcoming chapters *wink wink* since I always know the songs I'll be using far in advance. 
> 
> OK. I'm almost done. I promise I'll shut up soon.
> 
> I just wanted to let you all know that I happened to be working on a little BokuAka AU on the side. It has entirely nothing to do with this storyline, but I just wanted to give you all a heads-up in case you're interested.
> 
> Since I'm releasing this chapter late, the next one will either come super soon or not until next weekend *shrugs* I'm not sure yet.
> 
> ~obryzii


	12. It Should Be This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi is healed and awake. Turns out he has some fathering to do. The faery sovereign makes their first appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated for such a long time as to update this or the four other fanfics I have waiting in the wings (not including The Starving Artist haha lol). There's one A/B/O, one soft science fiction/dystopian thing, and two realistic fictions because yes. I've been trying to give more love to rare pairs but so far I've got Kuroo x Daichi, Kuroo x Tsukki, Tsukki x Hina, and Yaha x Shira on my roster (Not all are rare pairs but ya know, I just go with whatever flows best man. I'm trying though).
> 
> Just thought I'd say this but feel free to consider my account as a safe haven for all ships (especially rare pairs haha). On that note, if you guys have any ships that are lacking in terms of content or ships that you just want to see written for whatever reason, come hit me up. Or if you need to go fan over a ship, hit me up for that too. I'm always down lmao. The only ships I really can't handle are polyamorous ships (not that I'm against them, but it's more because I could never imagine myself in a polyamorous relationship so I find it very difficult to write about and I'd rather leave that to others who are more comfortable so that the representatives of that ship can at least get a decent story.)
> 
> I'd also like to get better at writing one-shot type deals BUT I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO DO IT. Sigh.
> 
> This chapter will be pretty much recapping a lot of has happened thus far, but we have some first appearances in here as well.

# It Should Be This

* * *

 

 

Daichi's head shifted restlessly. The more he stirred the more he regained consciousness. His aching muscles pulled him from his injured trance, poking and jabbing at him until he returned to reality. Regretfully, he opened his eyes, locking his listless gaze onto a familiar scarred face.

"Well damn, you just couldn't afford to kick the can, now could ya?" Kuroo's roughly tousled hair acted as a natural eye patch, shadowing the left side of his face.

"Get out of my face, you fat cat," Daichi grumbled. Kuroo snickered, straightening his spine.

"Geez, had you been out any longer, I thought Tanaka-kun was going to cry." Kuroo rolled his head sideways towards the disheveled faery who was fidgeting anxiously.

"I-I was not gonna cry!" he protested, though it didn't break Kuroo's smirk. Suddenly, the wooden door burst open, slamming against the wall with great and incredible force.

"Daichi-san!" came an energetic screech. Nishinoya barged through the door, his ebony wings folded tightly against his back. His grin ran from ear to ear. Asahi sauntered behind him meekly, followed by Yamaguchi, Ennoshita, and the rest.

"Noya heard your voice from halfway across the freaking village," Asahi groaned, joined in chorus by Ennoshita with a sigh. Daichi laughed heartily. He was instantly bombarded with questions and their displays of affection. A warm smile crept across his face when he saw his entire crew was in attendance. His entire crew...except for Tsukishima. Daichi's smile descended into a frown, searching for the blonde faery with a lithe build. For a moment, fear gripped his gut, wondering whether something had happened to him during the shipwreck. Searching, his eyes worked to discern him from the crowd. Wings of a deep mauve poked out from the shadows. The faery had his face turned towards the wall, keenly staring off into nothing. He was hidden far into the corner of the room, to the point where he could barely be seen.

"Tsukishima," Daichi called out. The faery turned lethargically to meet the captain's eyes. His spirit was languid as always, but there seemed to be something stirring. With Tsukishima, Daichi never knew if he should be concerned or be impassive towards his behaviors. Since the day he arrived with the faeries, a giant rift cracked between him and the rest of the crew. It wasn't just the crew, either. Even the other faeries were completely subject to his transient moods. The slack in the faery's apathetic expression seemed to hang even more than usual. "Why don't you come on over?" he asked. Tsukishima's gaze dropped beneath the frames of his glasses.

"It's alright," Tsukishima answered. "I wouldn't want to crowd you any more than you already are."

Daichi chuckled, "You think one more person will make a difference at this point?"

"Get on over here, Tsukishima-sama~" Nishinoya grinned wildly, eager for the tall and lanky faery to join the fray.

"Please do not call me that, Nishinoya-san." Tsukishima was now halfway to a glare.

"Come on, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi called. The entire crew was so entranced by the fact that Daichi was indeed alive and well that not a single one cared whether or not they'd get bitten. A flash of disgust could be seen on Tsukishima's face. If there was one thing Daichi knew about his crew, it was that they were all too stubborn to let something like that throw a fork in their path.

"Yeah, come on _Tsukki_ ~" Kuroo smirked.

"Do not call met that," Tsukishima snapped back immediately. Kuroo assumed a pseudo-pouting expression.

"But you let Yamaguchi call you that," Kuroo objected.

"Yamaguchi allows us to live in his home. He also helped get my glasses," Tsukishima deadpanned. "Not to mention that when you do it, it's just plain creepy." Both Tanaka and Noya laughed vigorously in chorus.

"I'm wounded, and you just had to pour your god damn salt into it, Tsukishima!" Kuroo whined. Tsukishima adjusted the frames of his glasses, pushing them further onto the bridge of his nose.

"Well, I am a creature of the ocean, after all." Tsukishima looked the captain dead straight in the eyes. Kuroo pressed his lips into a thin line, holding up a fist to his mouth. His whole body shook, as he tried valiantly not to bust into full-force laughter.

"Since that was sort of a good comeback, I'll let that one slide." Kuroo's smirk grew wider by the second. Tsukishima's head turned back towards the wall. It seemed that he had forgotten all about Daichi's opening request. Either he had forgotten, or he chose to ignore it. Daichi supposed it was likely the latter.

 _Baby steps_ , Daichi reminded himself. Although, it was blatantly apparent to him that they've been taking baby steps since the moment he set foot in the village. It took a lot of energy just to keep tip-toeing around him. Despite that, Tsukishima was always a reliable individual for the rest of the crew when it counted. He took his duties quite seriously. Anything pertaining to sirens, he took severe precautions with.

Daichi looked across the sea of people in front of him: Tanaka, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Yamaguchi, Asahi, Narita, Kinoshita, Tsukishima, and Kuroo. Not all of them were regular members on the deck (disregarding Kuroo, who belonged to his own ship, as their captain), but they had all come to see him the moment he awoke. They chatted and bickered non-stop, heedless of the fact that Daichi's head was pounding and his throat was burning. It was not that they didn't care (since it was obvious that they cared very much), but rather it was simply the group's personality. As he watched them act comfortably within their natural element, a warm feeling swelled in his chest, something similar to pride and fondness. He looked at the group, absolutely baffled by the fact that different species were able to come together and interact with harmony. More importantly, he had been filled relief upon observing that none of them sustained any major injuries from the shipwreck.

 _Everyone was fine_ , he thought. Just as he did, he noticed how the statement carried more worth than it should have. It was a heavy and delicate truth. With that thought, his face fell.

 _This is how it_ should _be. The hell that we are living in right now is not normal._

Kuroo, who had glanced away from his banter, noticed Daichi's disheartened expression. His bright smirk shrunk into a small grin.

"Alright, kids, time for the adults to do some talking," Kuroo commanded. Asahi wrinkled his brow.

"I am in the same age group as you. I'm not a kid," he protested.

Daichi laughed, "Not physically, sure. But mentally...well, that can get a little dicey."  Asahi assumed a sheepish and guilty expression on his face. Kuroo held up both his hands to shoo the others away.

"Now now young 'uns, run along." Kuroo worked to usher the group of the room, much to their remonstrance. Tsukishima looked eager at the chance to get away. Just before he was able to slip away, Kuroo threw his body in the way of the door. "You are not allowed to leave just yet." Tsukishima raised a brow.

"There is really no reason for me to stay," he insisted. Kuroo's gaze lowered.

"How long are you going to keep saying that?" he asked. Tsukishima reeled backward, blinking in surprise.

"Both Tanaka-san and Nishinoya-san are very capable, they could also–"

"Tsukishima," Kuroo said darkly. "They are really incomparable."

"Sorry, I'm not following."

"Oh, you know very well what I mean," Kuroo snapped.

"There must be a detail I am missing here," Tsukishima replied.

Kuroo groaned, "Tell me about it. Tsukishima, you have responsibilities that they don't have." The pirate's gaze lowered, "Or should I say Tsukishima- _sama_?"

"Kuroo-san, I'm not in the mood," Tsukishima grumbled.

"Well, when are you going to be in the damn mood?" The volume in Kuroo's voice started to increase. The faery only stared back at him with lifeless eyes. The pirate gritted his teeth. "You're always going to be just a 'replacement' if you keep acting that way." Tsukishima's eyes widened a fraction.

"Kuroo," Daichi said firmly. "Let him go."

"Sorry," Tsukishima dismissed. "I am what I am." He slipped through the door and followed the path of the rest of the group. After he left, Kuroo released a heavy sigh.

"Damn," he exhaled. "Think I mighta overdid it. Again."

Daichi pinched the creases between his brow, "Why are you like this?"

Kuroo shrugged, "God gave this gift to me, and it would be a shame if I didn't use it."

"Time, place, occasion, Kuroo," Daichi sighed.

"Daichi Daichi, I am the _King_ of TPO. Don't worry about it. That kid'll come around," Kuroo replied smugly. "Well, on a more serious note..."

"Did you tell the sovereign of what happened at sea?" Daichi asked.

"Well, I told him most of it, anyways." Kuroo's gaze bounced around the room, settling for anything except for direct eye contact with Daichi.

"What do you mean, 'most of it'?" Daichi asked, raising a curious brow.

"I told him what happened at sea, but not the fact that you were injured." Daichi made a strange expression. "I mean, did you want him to assign you a couple two or three bodyguards? He'd never allow you to be left alone. You'd lose one-hundred percent of your freedom," Kuroo jeered.

Daichi chuckled, "You're right, that's certainly not beyond them. It must be the parental instinct." His brown gaze lowered. "However, you know, neither of us has the man power for that right now."

"I know," Kuroo replied solemnly. "And something tells me that the number is about to get even smaller."

"What makes you say that?"

Kuroo sighed, "The crews are tired, Sawamura. The people are tired. We've made peace with the faeries. They're prepared to be content with that."

"You know we can't do that," Daichi shot back immediately. "The faery sovereign would bite you if he heard you say that."

"That wouldn't be a problem," Kuroo smirked. Daichi rolled his eyes, but was unable to stop the twitch of his lip.

"Just because we leave the sirens alone doesn't mean they'll be inclined to do the same."

"Sawamura, I think you misunderstand. It's not that they're tired of fighting, they're tired of _losing_."

Daichi cringed as if he'd been slapped across the face, "What would you suggest?"

"Well, first of all, we need you to recover. You looking like a heap of trash is not helping anyone," Kuroo groused. Daichi nodded in agreement. 

"Speaking of which, where's Yachi?" Daichi asked. He couldn't recall having seen her earlier.

Kuroo shrugged, "Dunno. She showed up yesterday to fix you up some more and ran out right after she determined that your condition had stabilized."

Daichi's nose twitched, "Weird."

"I know, and she's not the only one."

"Wait a minute, before we get onto that topic," Daichi looked up at Kuroo, puzzled. "You said yesterday? How long have I been out?"

"Your crew said you've been in and out of consciousness ever since the shipwreck."

"I see," Daichi frowned.

"Sawamura, the shipwreck was two weeks ago," Kuroo remarked. Daichi recoiled, eyes wide.

_Oh._

"That long, huh?" he muttered.

"That long," the other captain replied. Daichi felt sick to his stomach. No wonder his shipmates were so eager to jump to his side.

"What's happened since then?" he asked.

"Well," Kuroo grinned, "Since you asked..."

Kuroo elucidated to him everything that had happened thus far since they received word that Karasuno had been lost at sea. He told him of the arrival of Kunimi's family from inland and the ordeal that followed thereafter. The pirate captain had been graced by the fact that he just so happened was present in the bar to witness the man's flamboyant antics. Kuroo groaned at that, looking like he was eager to bash his head against the wall. It seemed that ever since then, Oikawa and Iwaizumi had been nonstop bickering, though Kuroo was convinced that it was chiefly flirtatious repartee and insisted that there was something going on between the two. Without seeing the two, it was hard for Daichi to be sure, but he wasn't ready to dismiss the idea either. Kuroo also mentioned to Daichi that, for the thousandth time, Kunimi seemed suspicious. Now Daichi was all too eager to spurn that claim. Kuroo had been on that track for years now. Kunimi had been proved innocent time and time again, and the captain was turning into the boy who cried wolf.

If there was any abnormal activity Daichi should be paying attention to, it was the two faeries and the apothecary: Tanaka, Tsukishima, and Yachi. According to Kuroo, ever since a couple days ago, Tsukishima had resorted to only speaking to Yamaguchi (though that wasn't necessarily unusual for him) and has been more reclusive than normal, Tanaka fidgeted nonstop (anxiously fidgeted, not caused by the excess amounts of energy he carried), and Yachi was wholeheartedly unable to look either of them directly in the eye. If Daichi was forced to guess, the situation was probably somehow Tsukishima's fault. On one hand, Yachi was an extremely easily unnerved person. One the other, she was someone who was also unlikely to hold it against him. He took a mental note of this, intending to monitor their behavior further.

Kuroo only stayed with Daichi a little while longer, briefly discussing the actions that they would be inclined to take after he has made a full recovery. Daichi didn't have the nerve to ask about the state of his ship. He knew he'd confront the remnants and debris at a later date. That was unnecessary stress for him at the moment. Of course, they'd need to get started on building a new one immediately. However, he was only kidding himself if he thought that a project that big was anywhere near finished in the foreseeable future. He found himself releasing a heavy sigh. The two captains were heavily engaged in conversation when a loud voice boomed from the outside.

"Kuroo!" The pirate jumped, eyes wide.

"Shit, I bet you that's Yaku." He cursed under his breath. "I gotta get goin'," Kuroo said hurriedly. "That faery's a god damn drill sergeant. Mothers my team more than I do," he scoffed.

Daichi chuckled, "Kuroo, that's exactly what you _need_."

Kuroo rolled his eyes, "Catch you later, Sawamura." The captain gave him a small wave before shoving both hands into his pockets and assuming a casual posture. From the inside, Daichi could hear him getting scolded. He smiled in good humor at the thought.

The captain had many visitors stop by throughout the day. His crewmates dominated most of the visits, controlling the flow of people. As the sun lowered in the sky and less light began to trickle through the windows, the number of guests decreased along with it. Daichi waited patiently for the sun to retire beneath the horizon. The moment it did, he rolled over on his side and kicked off the covers of the cot. He straightened out his sea-torn rags and slipped on his boots. He closed the creaking door quietly as he proceeded in a softly-softly manner. Without hesitation, he embarked on a trek into the untamed half of the wilderness. The further he walked, the less he was able to recognize, even more so due to the night.

He continued on this path until he reached the height of a vast hillside. The trees around him dispersed, opening to a small clearing. At the far edge was the sharp decline of land and rocks. Evening waves could be heard crashing and thrailing against the rocks. The peak was high enough as to avoid any ocean spray coming up, but low enough to not make climbing up or down difficult. Sedated gusts of wind brought the smell of salt into Daichi's nose, adding crispness to the air.

Should he really have gotten out of bed? Probably not.

Should he really have gone out alone? Not in his current condition.

Should he really have been wandering around a cliff in the middle of the wilderness, not to mention at night? Even on a good day, definitely not.

Would he get reprimanded for this? Probably.

Was this necessary? Absolutely yes.

Daichi stood on the fringe of the forest, far away from any late night village activity. He reached into the pocket of his breeches, pulling out a smooth whistle made of bone around the same size as his index finger. He was pleased to see that it was still intact, though disappointed to see that it had obtained a few scratches. Its ivory, impeccable texture was no longer so.

The whistle had been given to him by the faery sovereign the day the treaty was validated. He was told that should he ever need to see the sovereign personally, this whistle would alert the sovereign immediately. Supposedly, it produced a sound that only the sovereign could hear. Daichi had already used the whistle on several prior occasions. Every single time, the sovereign appeared without fail. He contemplated the idea for awhile, wondering whether or not he should blow the whistle again.

At last, he looked to the sky, and under the twinkling lights, blew the whistle loud enough for the faery to hear. He could hear the soft echo of a note, thought it wasn't loud enough to be audible. Daichi waited in silence, unmoving from his position. It wouldn't have been the first time he called for the sovereign for personal motives. His gaze was trained toward the stars. It only broke upon hearing the quiet breaths of wingbeats. As the faery came into view, his eyes softened at the sight.

Silver wings. Gleaming, shimmering, luminescent silver wings. Their color was closer to a pearly white than a deep gray, and they were brighter than the god damn moon. This faery was brighter than the god damn moon.

Hell, he practically was Daichi's moon.

"Sugawara-sama," he grinned faintly.

"Daichi, what happened to your face?" he exclaimed. Nimble and elegant fingers rose promptly, softly brushing over his bruises and cuts. The way the faery touched him gave him shivers. It was as if he was something precious, like a marble statue.

"It's from the shipwreck," Daichi murmured.

"You were injured? Why did you tell me?!"

"It wasn't anything to worry about," Daichi bit his tongue. Now _that_ was a straight up lie, but he couldn't stand to see such forcefully made creases in the faery's brow. To see him in visible turmoil pained his soul.

Daichi could tell the faery had rushed to his side the moment he called. The apples of his cheeks were slightly flushed and his mouth stayed parted, panting softly. Sugawara's hair was thrown up into a half-hearted bun, strands of hair sticking out everywhere. Daichi reached back leisurely, releasing the hair from its tie. The faery's locks rolled down all the way to the small of his back, gathering together between his wings. It was parted in the center with short layers at the front. His hair was only moderately wavy at the top, but the curls got tighter the farther down they were. It was the kind of texture that only the sea water could muster, and Daichi loved it.

God, did he love it.

The faery's slit pupils were dilated so that they filled much of his warm brown eyes. He was dying to know whether or not it was because of him or the night. Here's to hoping it was the former.

If the world could see what he was seeing now–no, scratch that. No one should be allowed to see what he was seeing now.

Should Daichi be asked what he found so attractive, he knew exactly how he would answer. It wasn't because of the faery's androgynous look that some would even call feminine. It wasn't because of a faery's natural allure. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with his beauty.

It was because it was Suga, and there wasn't a single thing about Sugawara that he did not love.

This was it. He had no other reason to secure this world's safety. Suga was as good a reason as any. To Daichi, this was the best possible reason. It was all he needed. He let his head fall into the crook of the faery's neck, taking advantage of the liberty to rest it there.

"Daichi...?" Suga asked, confused. Between his shaking voice and jolt of surprise, the faery was visibly disquieted. The pirate's shoulders drooped.

"Please...just let me stay here for awhile," he pleaded. Subsequent to that came a long, empty silence. Daichi felt a soft touch on the back of his head, combing through his short hair. That touch was the Sugawara equivalent of 'It's okay. It's all fine, Daichi.' It was a distinct faery mannerism that Daichi had trouble getting accustomed to at first. The display of the bare neck, especially in close embrace, gave various signals. The most vital one that he had come to understand was that the presentation of any bare skin was to be considered a show of weakness. It was both the ultimate sign of trust and submission. Any form of skinship–even in the smallest degree–was considered to be extremely intimate. In contrast, a hug or a pat on the back was as simple as a hello for landers alike. With the faeries being as they are (easily injured and physically delicate by nature), it was rare to even see them engage in such acts with each other, let alone another species entirely.

Daichi clenched his teeth, reprimanding himself in silence for asking for forgiveness instead of permission. Though he was met with just as much surprise as the faery when Sugawara's neck bent downward, folding towards the pirate's shoulder.

The faery exhaled, nuzzling his head into Daichi, almost like a cat. The stress flowed out of the both of them as their muscles relaxed. It whisked away into the gentle ocean breeze. He took that as the 'go ahead.' Daichi wrapped his arms around Sugawara, holding him tightly against his chest. The faery's limber body squirmed and his breath hitched. Daichi's hands trailed through his hair, running his fingers through it like a comb. There was something he found particularly calming about it.

It was a silent plea.

Their present world was so cruel that to do something as small as this required mountains to be moved. However, he currently had two choices; he could whine about how the world was unfair, or he could be wholeheartedly immersed in enjoying the rare moment he was able to receive right now. It was obvious which one of those options he would choose.

Daichi's hand brushed against the juncture of the base ofSugawara's wings and his shoulderblades. The pirate's hand winced in surprise. They were velvety soft to the touch. He found himself wanting to touch them more but was unable to do so. He knew that faeries depended on their wings for so much. He's seen the expression a faery makes when their wings are lost. Touching Sugawara's wings seemed like overstepping his bounds. It suggested a deeper level of intimacy than the two currently had. Consequently, his hand hastily retreated, returning to its initial place. He had one arm wrapped around Sugawara's waist, and the other around the tops of his shoulders.

He imagined what forever would be like at Sugawara's side: beautiful, not even a hint of age, always smiling, always safe, never a drop of rain.

No pain.

It was paradise.

The tragic part of it all was the truth that lied within him; he may never get to go. It wouldn't matter if they won or lost. As long as a divide still existed, their relationship would never be accepted. While the faeries and the pirates may be at a momentary truce, if the others at all knew what Daichi was doing at present, he'd be capped. If he wasn't killed, his crew would never be able to look at him the same way again. Daichi could never be a captain again.

He could never be trusted by anyone again.

Sugawara could be put in unnecessary danger.

He watched the events unfold inside his head in horror. No matter which direction he turned, he found an earth shattering consequence. His muscles started to tense up at the thought.

In that moment, Sugawara returned Daichi's embrace. The pirate's eyes flew open in surprise. The faery gripped the back of his shirt tightly, pulling him closer. Daichi was filled to the brim with happiness. That one small act was all he needed to give him the strength to continue.

This is what the world should be like. Someone should be able to stand in the arms of the one that they love without a care or worry that they may be taken away the very next day. The image of safety he held in his head was becoming more concrete by the day.

By whatever means, Daichi would strive to achieve it. He would make this ideal a reality. It could happen–no, it will happen.

 

Daichi was going to make it happen.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAISUGA IS HERE YAY. Oh and uh, the karasuno pirates made an appearance too. And Kuroo. But mostly DaiSuga. I hadn't planned on writing DaiSuga in this chapter, then I did. Let me just say–I do not regret this whatsoever. I just gave myself something I didn't even know I needed. Ha. It was so relaxing to write but also gave me a cavity omg.
> 
> So I guess this chapter ended up acting as a recap and a buffer before we get into stuff...heh. Not even a quarter way through the story but I feel like a lot as happened so far, but also a lot hasn't happened at the same time? Idk. I'm weird.
> 
> Something I'm excited for in the upcoming chapters? Well...All I can say is that we'll get to see Ushijima again soon.
> 
> If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments. <3 Comments actually put life force into my body no joke. While I have the majority of the story planned out already, if there's anything you guys are interested in seeing, PLEASE let me know! I'm always open to suggestions haha. :)
> 
> I hope you are all having an amazing day! (I will now go back to figuring out what I want to eat for lunch).

**Author's Note:**

> Instagram: @obryzii  
> DeviantArt: @articfirexx  
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